


Sunflower

by mytsukkishine



Series: kakairu for the soul [5]
Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Dimension Travel, Domestic Fluff, Female Umino Iruka, Kakashi is shookt, M/M, Parent Hatake Kakashi, Parent Umino Iruka, Sakusa is their son, Two Iruka but different Dimensions, no beta reader we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 51,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23107228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mytsukkishine/pseuds/mytsukkishine
Summary: Sakusa is the only son of Iruka and Kakashi Hatake. And being a chunin at a tender age of ten, every mission and task is as easy as pie for the young Hatake. However, now that he's fourteen, who knew that one simple task such as arranging some messy scrolls would accidentally bring him back in time.Kakashi Hatake was a simple 29 years-old man with simple wants. He only wants to go home after a long mission, read some Icha-Icha after, but then out of the blue, some boy is claiming that he is his son from the future, and it's now his duty to figure out how to bring him back.But, it won't be easy, per se, because Sakusa isn't really from the future, he is from another dimension where his parents consist of him and afemaleIruka. With this unexplainable mess, Kakashi wonders how will hismaleIruka react to the knowledge of having a son with him from another dimension.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Series: kakairu for the soul [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1629499
Comments: 101
Kudos: 268





	1. I.

**Author's Note:**

> kinda confusing plot? hahaah  
> basically, Sakusa is the son of female Iruka and male Kakashi, but then the kid somehow got into another dimension where Iruka is a male.
> 
> yey! see, I managed to incorporate my fave AU (fem Iruka) and time travel/dimension travel lol  
> I do wonder where this fic would end ahahah  
> without further ado, go forth and read!  
> (edited chapters but still same concepts)  
> title earlier was Like Me Better, I changed it to Sunflower :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> surprise meetings are always a... surprise.  
> can be taken well, or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapters 1-7 are edited but with only mild changes that won't affect the story line ^^

_Fightin' for my trust and you won't back down_   
_Even if we gotta risk it all right now, oh (now)_

The pan sizzled lightly, Kakashi quickly made a grab for his spatula as he mixed up well the eggs. It was seven in a Monday morning, his wife was getting ready upstairs, while his son, Sakusa, was already up and clean, sporting his usual chunin flak jacket as he played away on his gaming console by the table.

Kakashi got out a bowl full of rice and dumped it on the pan. After a while, his wife finally entered the dining area with her hair all combed down and free, she beamed Kakashi a smile as she puts down her book bag on an available chair, “Smells good,” Iruka commented, buttoning up her uniform. She then eyed their son, who was still busy playing, and then proceeded to walk up to him to drop a kiss on top of his head.

“Sakusa, no gadgets on the table,”

“Wait, mom, just one more—aha!”

Iruka rolled her eyes but then smiled after. Her son had just came back from a month-long mission last week, and admittedly, she missed him a lot. Given that her son was now a chunin, it’s a little hard on her side watching him take missions after missions, and she was worried because as a shinobi, anything could happen. And even though they’re perfectly aware that Sakusa was a genius like his father and might surpass him one day, still, Sakusa would always be her little boy.

She wasn’t surprised when, by the age of ten, Sakusa was already a chunin, way ahead of his batch. And now that he’s fourteen, of course, the teen would want a higher rank.

Iruka was proud of him, really, but she would surely dread the day of him becoming a jounin someday.

“Hey,” Kakashi greeted once Iruka was by his side. He turned his face to her, accepting the kiss Iruka gave, “Sakusa requested omurice,” Kakashi said and flipped the cooked egg on the pan, ready to serve it.

“Heavy breakfast, I see,” Iruka kissed him once more before making her way towards the coffee machine to grab herself a cup. “Sakusa, would you like coffee?” She asked her fourteen-year-old son and received no answer in return.

Iruka just sigh as she took a seat in front of him.

“Sakusa,”

“Yes?” 

“Do you have anything to do today?”

“Hmm… yeah… Mirai senpai and I will—YES!!” Sakusa cheered loudly, arms flailing up in the air as he lets out a hefty laugh.

Iruka gave her son a look, at the same time, Kakashi appeared with a plate full of omurice. He puts it in the middle of the table along with a cup of coffee for himself. He smiled down at Iruka, taking a seat beside her. “Sakusa, console.”

Sakusa just nodded, quickly putting his console away with a smug smile printed on his face.

“Enjoyed your game, I see?”

“Yes! I can’t wait to tell Boruto that I am already three levels ahead of him,” Sakusa grinned devilishly, his eyes mirroring mischief. Iruka sighed again. Her son was the epitome of mature but not quite yet. His competitiveness was still cute so she wasn’t complaining, and she also guessed he got that attitude from her anyway.

“Anyway, I asked you if you’re going to do something today,” Iruka repeated and gave Kakashi a soft thank you when her husband puts a piece of omurice on her plate. Sakusa proceeded to grab his own serving, took a big slice with his spoon before biting into it. His eyes sparkled after causing Kakashi to chuckle.

Once he had swallowed the deliciousness of his father’s cooking, he glanced up at his mother before nodding, “Y-yeah, I’ll be helping out Shikamaru-ojisan arrange some scrolls in the Hokage Estate along with Mirai-senpai,” Sakusa took another spoonful and swallowed a little too fast that it worried Kakashi.

So Kakashi took it upon himself to grab an orange juice from the fridge, then return to the table with a glass for his son, “Eat up slowly,” He warned and received a sheepish smile in return.

“Yes, sorry,”

“Oh, well, that’s great. At least you get to rest for a while,” Iruka commented after, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Kinda boring though,” Sakusa replied with a shrug and continued to eat.

“Well, I’m sure you might find some interesting things in there,”

“I doubt, Mirai told me they're just a bunch of reports so…”

Iruka gave her son an apologetic smile before eaching out over the table to ruffle up those wild silver locks of his. “How about this? After your duty, let’s have lunch together and then maybe in between, I could teach more about fuinjutsu?” At the suggestion, Sakusa’s eyes lit up with amazement. He nodded furiously, grinning at his mother, “Sounds like a plan, mom,”

“Did you do what I told you about?”

“Yeah, I did but it’s quite hard, you’re really more knowledgeable with seals than me and dad combined,”

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

Sakusa stifled a yawn, glassy eyes glaring down at the messy scrolls on the floor as the door behind him closed. He had just arrived at the Hokage Tower after, and unluckily, Mirai won’t be able to join him for she has suddenly caught a flu. Shikamaru smirked at him once he arrived, explained to him what he must do and where to put certain things back.

He thought it would be easy.

But it wasn’t.

No one told him that the little room that contained lots of scrolls would be a mess. Several scrolls, from big to tiny pieces, littered the floor and shelves. Sakusa asked why the room was so messy, but his uncle just told him that some people were careless, and that Naruto sometimes spent his day inside the room to use the scrolls as references.

Before his uncle left, he had warned him to not open some scrolls because, unfortunately, those scrolls weren’t just simple S-mission reports, some were unfinished jutsus, and unexplained ones—but his uncle assured him it wasn’t deadly.

But Sakusa wasn’t sure about that because when they arrived at the said room, an ANBU was guarding it earlier.

Anyway, there’s no point in complaining, better get this job done and spent the day with his mom at the academy, and maybe spar with some few of his friends later on. Sakusa released sigh and closed his eyes. This would be easy. It’s just putting some scrolls back in place.

What could go wrong?

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

Okay, something was definitely wrong. Sakusa was half-way done in putting back the scrolls, arranged them by date and size, but then he got bored along the way and he was glad he secretly brought his console with him.

Needless to say, he was putting some scrolls back and playing his console at the same time.

That’s what you call skills.

It was going so well, he’s nearing level four of his game, and the pile on the floor was becoming less and less by the minute, until he slipped on one cylinder container, dropped butt first on the ground and then everything around him glowed.

Before it got way too bright, Sakusa looked down and saw that he had accidentally landed on an open scroll with a heavy writing of ‘transfer’ on it before the light that it emitted went too bright for him to look at.

With a scrunched up face and his head a little dizzy, he slowly opened his eyes and found himself outside of Konohagakure. Trees surrounded him, but he could clearly see the entrance gate from where he was.

Sakusa sighed once he glanced down and saw that his game was shut, he turned it around and grimaced once he saw its battery kind of overloaded itself with whatever scroll he had landed on. Now, he needed to return to the tower, explain what happened, and finish his task without his game console.

He sulked internally, maybe he could ask his mom or dad for money after.

Yeah, sounds like a good plan. Except when he arrived at the gates, he saw his uncle Kotetsu standing by the side, however, he was… how to put it? He looked younger. And he wore a different uniform than his usual flak jacket. His looks weird with bulky pockets in front, while Sakusa—nothing out of the ordinary. His was normal. He wondered where his uncle got it from.

His uncle Kotetsu then looked at him, raised his brow but once his eyes landed on his Konoha headband, he gave a nod at Sakusa.

Sakusa glanced at his uncle with confusion. It was weird, to be honest, because every time his uncle Kotetsu would see him, he would be all happy and ask about Iruka and Kakashi’s whereabouts, or how his training went. Another bizarre thing was that he don’t see his auntie Izumo anywhere—his wife. They mostly stand their post near the gates together, but now his uncle was with a man he hadn’t recognized before.

Sakusa just shrugged. Maybe his aunt Izumo also caught a flu? Maybe. The teen took a mental note to get some vitamins before he also caught a flu.

Sakusa suddenly stopped. Eyes scanning his area.

This wasn’t Konoha.

He averted his eyes on the straight road ahead, children were playing, people were walking around—just something that could be described as a normal day, except that the kids were playing without any gadgets involved, and the people felt different. He couldn’t recognize some faces and they were wearing something so old-fashioned.

It’s Konoha, but it’s not.

Sakusa immediately jumped up, landing on a tiled roof not so gently. He then looked up before all the color from his face disappeared.

There he saw, the Hokage Rock, standing tall and proud, and only carried five faces.

Last time he remembered, Naruto-jisan’s face was there- and his father.

“Shit,” Was all he could say as Tsunade’s monument glared down at him.

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

Was he back in time? Maybe. But what time exactly? He couldn’t pinpoint. At this point, Sakusa was starting to panic. He had planned this day very well, he would help organize some scrolls at the tower, then go to the academy to have lunch with his mom, and then spar either with his dad or uncle Gai. Last time he checked, going back in time wasn’t in his schedule.

Sakusa sighed, face contorted into a panicked one as he walked through the village. He felt so left out, his flak jacket stood out too much, especially his hair. His hair looked so much like his father, and if he was really back in time, all of them knew his father didn’t have any son or relatives.

Sakusa did try to check if he was under a genjutsu at first, but after three failed attempts of trying, he confirmed that he wasn’t.

Sakusa groaned. He had enough of the people staring at him. He quickly went up from one roof to another until he saw some laundry being dried off from the sun. Quietly, he grabbed a blue scarf, made a distaste face before putting it over his head with his hitai-ate over it.

There, he looked like a regular shinobi. Yeah, he looked normal. But still, his vest attracted a lot of eyes so for now, Sakusa decided that the safest and discreet way of travelling would be by roofs and tress.

The young Hatake then walked towards the edge of the roof and looked over at the village before him. The map was different from his, but he could still pinpoint some popular buildings that survived in his time. His gaze then landed on the Academy. He was one hundred percent sure his mom would be there. He contemplated whether he should go there first, their house, or the Hokage Estate.

His aunty Tsunade might be able to help but he knew, if his father was here with him, they would go to someone who they could trust.

Sakusa grimaced at the thought, felt a little excited and scared at the same time. He need to see his father’s past self, and he was nervous for he still couldn’t find a reasonable explanation on why he’s here and how he got here. 

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

Kakashi just wanted to relax, that’s all. He never wanted anything more in his life right now. When Naruto had left a few months ago with Jiraiya, he had to help the new Hokage, Tsunade, in how to handle stuff around the village and assist her in maintaining peace. It was tiring really, Kakashi would rather take a month-long mission than help out the Hokage with paper works and decisions he could barely give a care about.

It was funny actually, he cared about Konohagakure’s future, but not the paper works.

And now, as Kakashi was given the day to rest, he had planned to go home, read some Icha-Icha after, and maybe, just maybe, if he got to stumble upon a certain chunin-sensei, he would bother him for a while.

Sounds like a plan.

He continued to walk through the village, looked around some stalls and shops in hopes to find something good for take-out when suddenly, he felt a prickle on his palm.

With eyes wide, Kakashi immediately flickered away.

The Copy-nin grabbed a kunai as he landed softly on the over-grown grass of the Hatake Estate. It’s been a while since he had been here, Kakashi would rather sleep at the jounin’s headquarters than relieving some memories he didn't want to touch.

However, after years of peace around this house, this was the first time his wards had been alerted. The sting on his palm indicated that not only someone stepped foot on the grass below, they had also successfully broken his barrier—which was a first.

No one but him knew how to disarm his barriers. Whoever entered his house would surely face a heavy consequence.

He quietly entered his house, glancing at the slightly open door with an angry look. Kakashi scanned the area, took note that nothing was broken in the living room and that everything was in place as if the thief was very careful.

But the weirdest and chilling part was that he sensed a chakra so familiar—like his dad.

Kakashi frowned, it couldn’t be. He knew no one was dumb enough to dare and steal his father’s body and do some sort of experiment on it, so why was this chakra felt so familiar to his, but the same time not.

Kakashi then decided it would be better to call in Pakkun and Bull. As soon as his two ninkens looked up at him, they nodded and took the first step upstairs. Kakashi then closed the door behind him, summoned back his barrier to make sure no one from inside would be able to unlock it except for him.

He then puts his hitai-ate up, Sharingan spinning wildly as he looked around.

Upstairs. The chakra was strong upstairs.

With soft steps, he started to walk until he heard a racket and then Bull’s loud bark from upstairs. With a flicker, he appeared behind the person being straddled by Bull. Kakashi’s right hand was ready, electricity already clapping as a warning but then he stopped.

Pakkun was on top of Bull, his ninken’s face was printed with shock as the person below started to scratch the bottom of the snout. Bull barked back after, a sign that he too, wanted some scratches. 

“What the—”

“Boss!” Pakkun immediately jumped off of Bull, growled a little at the annoying culprit before jumping up on Kakashi’s shoulder. “Bull,” Kakashi whistled and the big dog got off from the culprit, and honestly, Kakashi was perplexed because Bull suddenly looked so tamed, like this felon was someone he knew.

Without any hesitation, Kakashi placed a kunai on the culprit’s neck. “Speak. Who are you?”

The other remained frozen on the floor, back facing him and Kakashi couldn’t really see him well due to the scarf on his head. This person emitted an electricity elemental chakra but it wasn’t dangerous and could be contained well with his ability. But still.

“Show yourself!” Kakashi couldn’t remain calm in these situations. He wanted to know who, and how he got himself inside.

He pressed the kunai closer.

“Wait!” He finally spoke, and judging from the high pitched voice, he was still a kid- or teen. The teen quickly raised his hands up and Kakashi listened as he spoke once more, “Can I just stand first? I promise there are no weapons on me,”

Kakashi's still wasn’t convinced but he ushered him to stand. With his kunai still on his neck, the teen stood up straight, Kakashi quickly grabbed hold of his wrist and twisting it so that he wouldn’t be able to do something.

The kid hissed as his arms were pulled back.

“Now tell me, who’re you?”

“Oh boy, you ain’t gonna believe this, okay so this was what happened—”

“I don’t need your story. Who are you first?”

“It’s really hard to explain without me telling you from the start, so you see I was fixing some scrolls—”

Kakashi tightened his hold on the boy’s wrist that resulted from another hiss from him. Kakashi wasn’t sure if this teen was playing a joke on him, but every second that passed, he’s starting to annoy the hell out of him.

For Kami’s sake, Kakashi just wanted to reach Icha Icha today.

“Uhm…” The boy started again, his voice now laced with pain and panic, but Kakashi couldn’t care less. He just wanted to get this over with.

“Please just, let me go first,” The teen begged.

“No.”

Kakashi pressed forward.

“Okay! Okay! I am your son! From the future!”

Silence quickly enveloped the room. Pakkun coughed lightly beside him, while Bull has fallen quiet somewhere on the floor, and Kakashi, well, his sharingan stopped spinning as he stared at the back of the boy’s head.

And then the Copy-nin sighed and shook his head, “Kid, you just broke into a jounin’s house and then claimed to be a relative. Ibiki will have so much fun with you after this.”

“W-wait! Believe me, I – Mask! A-ANBU mask!” The boy shouted, trembling in Kakashi’s hold as the kunai pressed in deeper but not enough to cut his skin yet.

“Y-y-you have a symbol! Hatake symbol at the back on the forehead!”

Kakashi froze, eyes wide as he tried to think of something that may connect on why does this boy knew about that Hatake symbol. Only he knew that a Hatake symbol was drawn on his ANBU mask and Kakashi was also aware that his mask wasn’t in this house, but was in his closet in the jounin headquarters.

With swift movements, he spun the boy around and ripped the scarf off of him.

Needless to say, it was like looking at his younger self.

He noticed that the boy was still shaking as he slowly looked up at him with eyes that were clearly not his, but was oddly familiar to him.

“Speak, did I bang some chick or?”

“Ew. No. I don’t know!” This boy, who had his face scrunched up in disgust clearly reminded Kakashi of himself when he was young. He didn't know whether he should be scared or amazed at the same time.

“Just answer me,”

“Dad, I’m scared!” The teenager before him cried out, face contorted with uncomfortableness as he took a step forward. Kakashi stepped back quickly, not failing to notice the hurt look the other gave. “I honestly don’t know if I’ll ruin the future or not but, please past dad, just help me return!” He was whining, completely childish and completely like a Hatake.

“Hold up, don’t call me dad,”

“But it’s so weird to call you Kakashi,”

“Just…”

“Boss, I’m out,” Pakkun jumped out from Kakashi's shoulder and stared up at the duo. Kakashi released a tired sigh, he knew Pakkun would want to know more about this later on, and Kakashi also knew Pakkun didn't want to handle this right now.

With a nod, Kakashi reluctantly dismissed Pakkun.

Bull then decided it was time to wake up, so he walked over to his ‘son’ and dropped beside his feet. The teen then crouched down and started to pet Bull just behind his ears.

Okay, that was weird. Kakashi stared at his supposed 'son' who knew where to pat Bull in the right placed.

A shiver ran down Kakashi’s spine.

“Hey kid,” He kicked the other’s arm lightly which the other replied by giving him a glare.

That pout! That pout looked so familiar. He just couldn’t remember where he had seen that pout.

“What’s your name?” He poked again with his feet and the kid slapped it off. “Sakusa, and can you please not!”

“You're saying you're my son, but your name sucks,”

“Wow!” Sakusa stood up straight, which Bull whined to a little. Kakashi dismissed Bull and the ninken barked, sniffed Sakusa one last time before disappearing through a cloud of smoke.

Pregnant silence covered both men once more, eyes glued on one another, and Kakashi swore he might go crazy later on if this silence continued. Thankfully, Sakusa decided to break it by clearing his throat, “Look, I’m sorry past dad, please don’t be mad at me. I haven’t told anyone yet so maybe this can be fixed. I just hope you could help…” The teens words quickly died down and Kakashi was fortunately fast enough to catch his falling body.

“Hey, kid!”

“I’m…” That was the last thing Kakashi heard before the kid fainted in his arms.

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

“His chakra levels were just a bit tad low, but with proper rest and this IV, he’ll be up soon.” Tsunade informed, eyeing the jounin carefully, “Now, you better have a good reason as to why you insist on me checking up on this kid, rather someone from my medics,” She turned back to the unconscious boy and adjusted his IV tube carefully.

Kakashi was by the window, sharp eye trained on the sleeping boy as so many questions ran in his mind.

_Is he really from the future?_

“He will wake up soon and then he can eat soft foods after,” When Tsunade was done, she glanced back at Kakashi, who only gave her a nonchalant look as his eye motioned for the people around. With a sigh, Tsunade called Shizune, “Kindly leave for a moment, I need to speak to Kakashi privately,” She then looked at the two ANBUs inside the room and signaled them out.

As soon as the ANBUs were gone and the door has closed gently behind Shizune, Kakashi made a barrier so no one could hear or get inside the room without a warning. 

“Speak up, brat”

“He’s my son.”

“W-what?!” With wide eyes, Tsunade snapped her head back to the unconscious boy and that’s where she saw the resemblance. From the hair and the face. However, she was more caught off-guard with the fact that Kakashi had a son, a teenage son and Kakashi wasn’t even that old.

“Wait, no. I mean, he’s my son but he’s from the future,”

Tsunade’s eyes roamed over the boy’s soft lashes, and then to Kakashi. She frowned, clearly not amused, “If this is how you escape responsibility, I will throw you off a bridge and you know I won’t hesitate to punch your guts out of your—”

“Really. He’s from the future. He told me some stuff that… well, no one knew and he knew.”

“Kakashi.” She warned.

“He broke inside the Hatake manor,” Kakashi said as he leaned back on the glass window behind.

Just then, the sleeping teen groaned, stirring from his slumber and the two adults quickly glued their eyes on him. “Hngh, mom…” Kakashi watched as Sakusa’s face scrunches up in pain and Tsunade quickly came to aid by putting her hand gently over his forehead.

“Mom…” He called out loud, eyes still closed.

“Kid, look at me,” With Tsunade’s voice, the fourteen-year-old’s eyes slowly fluttered open, and Kakashi saw those auburn eyes again.

“Who’s your mother?” Tsunade asked softly, and Kakashi’s ears perked up. Sakusa was still a little dazed but it won’t hurt to try right?

“What?” Sakusa asked again, eyes squinted.

“Your mom, who? We will call her,” She tried her best to speak calmly but she was getting impatient. She was as curious as Kakashi was.

“Mom… at the Academy,” Sakusa coughed, “Mama… Iruka Hatake…”

Silence.

“Iruka Hatake… Umino, my mom.”

Kakashi blinked. Tsunade choked on her spit.

Last time they checked, Iruka Umino wasn’t a woman.


	2. II.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Truths were revealed except to Iruka. Now, Kakashi and Iruka were given the task to take care of him, and Iruka was left wondering why does he have to take care of the son of a jounin he was quite in love with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! thank u for reading! updates may be slow.  
> if u want to recommend, i'm open for it ^^
> 
> (edit: chapter is edited but not enough to ruin the storyline, thankuu^^)

Iruka thought, his hidden feelings for a certain jounin were bad enough, well it wasn’t.

It was just a normal day, summer’s around the corner meaning, in a few more days, Iruka won’t have to think of lesson plans every single day for the next three months. The sensei had already said his goodbye to his class, wished them a well and fun summer while the little hellions only cheered and walked out of the room, all ready to play under the sun and with their friends.

After gathering his stuff, he planned to get some tea first before heading home. He also wondered if he should buy some vegetables or take-out because honestly, since it’s the last day of school, he’s feeling quite lazy and ramen for dinner didn't sound so bad.

And that’s where an ANBU suddenly appeared in front of him, immediately making Iruka nervous.

He had thought about all the possibilities of why he’s needed at the hospital, and his first thought was Naruto. He had just left months ago and—was he injured? Did he come back because they were attacked or something?

His second thought was Kakashi.

Ever since then, he and the jounin had this very funny relationship where they’re friends, but not at the same time. It was complicated really, he couldn’t pinpoint what their friendship really was but Iruka was sure he cared for the other, the same goes for Kakashi.

In the midst of his thought, Iruka gave the ANBU a nod and took a U-turn towards the hospital.

The moments he arrived, he froze. In front of him were two Kakashi. Well, that’s what he had seen first since the one on the bed and the jounin by the window looked awfully the same. But, as much as the young boy looking so much like Kakashi, he still had this look of a young, scared boy staring back at him.

With those pretty brown eyes.

“You called for me, Tsunade-sama?” Iruka said after he bowed. The Hokage nodded and called him forward, which the chunin-sensei did whilst observing the absence of ANBUs around. When he stopped near the bed, he couldn’t help but to be sucked into those brown orbs of the boy resting on it.

“Mom?” The boy whispered but Iruka heard it clear. Iruka was perplexed at first, not understanding what was happening, but based on the IV connected to the boy’s arm, and the cooling patch on his forehead, the teen must be sick.

Iruka then looked up at Kakashi, hoping the jounin could explain what was happening, and why was he here, and sadly, he only received silence as an answer.

The boy on the bed cleared his throat and Iruka’s attention was immediately on him again. He slightly reminded him of Naruto.

“You’re… Iruka-san?” He asked weakly, eyes glossed and lips formed into a pout. Iruka faltered for a moment before nodding. This kid somehow made him feel cautious and he didn't know why. He’s usually not cautious when it came to kids but now.

“Iruka,” Tsunade spoke, voiced laced with authority and seriousness. Iruka straightened up and averted his gaze back at the Godaime, “Yes, Hokage-sama?”

“I will assign to you to take care of this kid. He will be under your care together with Kakashi,”

Iruka swore his cheeks heated at the mention of Kakashi. On top of that, when he looked at the jounin, the other wasn’t complaining. Usually, Kakashi would—no, should complain. Why would the Godaime assign to him a kid he didn't know? And with Kakashi?

“Uhm, if you’ll excuse me Hokage-sama, who is this kid?”

“He’s my son,” Kakashi finally spoke, removing himself from the window as he walked up to the boy on the bed.

The word ‘son’ kept ringing in his ear, and the drop of his heart at the pits of stomach didn’t help either.

Kakashi has a son.

Wow. Iruka felt like a broken-hearted high school girl at the sudden confession. His long time crush already has a son, meaning Kakashi also had someone he loves—

“From the future. He’s from the future, Iruka-sensei,” Iruka blinked and then looked at the boy again. “His name is Sakusa,”

“Hello, Iruka… sensei,” Sakusa blushed and covered mouth with his hands.

It was the first time Iruka got to notice his features. He did look so much like Kakashi, but his eyes weren’t his, and the beauty mark under his right eye just added more charm to his already good looks.

But the heaviness in his chest didn’t fade away. Still confused as to why Kakashi’s kid from the future was here, and also bothered by the fact that Kakashi would end up with someone who could bear an offspring.

_Of course._

“C-can you tell me how he got here?” He asked, voice breaking a little as he tried to push away the hurt, hoping no one could notice how the information of Kakashi having a son totally drained him immediately.

“He told us that he had stepped on some scroll in the Hokage Tower and then suddenly, he was transferred here at our time. The reason I called you was to help Kakashi for a while in handling this rascal until we figure out how to return him,” Tsunade walked over to Sakusa and ruffled those wild locks.

“This will be considered a mission, and funds would be given every two days,”

“B-but, Tsunade-sama. Where would he stay?”

“You two can talk about it,” She smirked, eyes pointed at Kakashi who looked as flustered as Iruka. “Before I go, I expect that none of this would go out. Only the three of us knew of his situation.”

Iruka nodded stupidly while Kakashi remained stoic.

“You’re the perfect choice Iruka-sensei because I doubt that Kakashi could survive handling a kid that looked so much like him.”

As Tsunade did a final check-up on Sakusa, she left with a promise of sending in the mission scroll for the two of them.

Well, that was quite a blow. Iruka stared at Sakusa for a moment, and then at Kakashi. Both men were quiet and the chunin-sensei couldn’t help but to release a sigh afterward. “Well, uhm… Sakusa-kun, how are you feeling?” Iruka asked softly, and weirdly enough, the boy only stared at him as if there was something on his face. It made him uncomfortable, really, like those big, brown, beautiful eyes of the kid were looking through his soul. His very core.

Sakusa coughed, breaking off their little staring contest. Iruka immediately went near to tend him, rubbing soothing circles on his back and gently laying him back down on the bed.

“You better rest up,” Kakashi spoke but the distance between him and the bed was still increased it made Iruka frown. Kakashi should show more concern for his ‘future’ son but he couldn’t blame him. The jounin might’ve been as shocked as he was.

Soon after, Sakusa was asleep again and Iruka managed to pull Kakashi out of the room.

“Kakashi-sensei… All of these just happened so suddenly but why me? You could’ve chosen others to take care of him, and I know school’s over but I still have paper works and the mission desk—”

“Iruka-sensei, I – I know this would be a lot to ask for but the only person that I know who could help me with this is you,” The desperation in Kakashi’s voice was mixed with calmness that it made Iruka curse internally because he knew he wouldn’t just turn down someone who needed help.

“I—Sakusa is still a kid and you’re the first thing that came to my mind, please. I’m sorry if I got you tangled with me but I promise, I just need help with a teenager and I will do the rest,”

Iruka gave him a look for a moment, observing how the jounin’s exposed eye looked sincere and helpless. It wouldn’t hurt to help Kakashi and his _son._

It stings but it’s also unfair to leave a friend behind.

With a defeated sigh, Iruka nodded. “Okay, I will help you,”

And Iruka knew, even under that mask, Kakashi was smiling at him. And Iruka hated the fact that even though he hadn’t seen Kakashi’s face, he knew what the other was expressing—hell, he even fell for that mysterious jounin.

But still, the thought of Kakashi having a wife in the future was like a heavy brick on his chest.

“May I ask, Kakashi-sensei,” Iruka started, “How are you so sure that Sakusa really is from the future? And not…”

“Maa, he said some personal things that even the Hokage doesn’t know, and that—well,”

“Sorry, you don’t need to answer that,” Iruka replied sheepishly causing the jounin to chuckle, “Well, another thing was that the kid broke inside the Hatake Manor,”

That was definitely something. Today had been a long day and Iruka just wanted to rest and just maybe, eat chocolates to cover up this messy heart of his. He gave Kakashi another smile, “Okay, Kakashi-sensei, I think I will see you tomorrow,”

“Stay at the estate,”

“What?”

The jounin sighed, one hand coming up to scratch the back of his head. “Stay at the Hatake estate so it won’t be a hassle for you to come and go. I—there’s a lot of spare room, and the furniture is still quite intact so—”

“Okay,”

The jounin’s eyes met Iruka’s.

“Okay?”

“Yes, okay. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to rest and maybe pack up,”

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

It was almost three in the morning, and Kakashi remained restless. He had sat by the window, watching his proclaimed son sleep peacefully. He might’ve acted so lightly about it earlier, but the truth was, everything that’s happening confounded him.

Him, the Copy-nin, the friend killer, had found happiness in another dimension, and now Sakusa has come to his world where he knew he won’t be able to find his own happiness.

He felt slight jealousy for the other Kakashi—Sakusa’s real father. He had a new family, with a son a wife whilst here was Kakashi, stuck and alone.

Sakusa looked like him so much. He also has a hint of Sakumo’s face.

_This child was a Hatake._

It angered and pained him. The Kakashi, Sakusa’s real father, was happy. He has a son and apparently was married to the female version of Iruka.

Speaking of Iruka.

Kakashi inwardly sighed. The small feelings he had for the chunin-sensei was his most valuable secret, but who knew those said feelings would also be dimensional. Does it mean something? Would it also be possible to have something with Iruka?

_“Iruka Hatake… Umino, my mom,” When that name escaped the young boy’s lips, Kakashi blinked at the kid stupidly. He wasn’t sure if this kid was fucking with them, but Kakashi hoped he had heard him right._

_He said Iruka Umino was his mom. Or what he said—Iruka Hatake._

_Kakashi would’ve believed him if it’s someone he knew, and if it was a woman, but Iruka? As his mother?_

_But Iruka Umino was a man. Has been since he was born and taken care of by the Sandaime. So why would this kid that claimed to be his son, now claimed Iruka as his mother? He got to be kidding him._

_“Are you fu—Iruka?”_

_“Yes…” Sakusa answered groggily but he started to sober up when Tsunade helped him to sit up straight. “Was it bad that I told you guys who my mom is?” Sakusa’s eyes then landed on Kakashi, worry was printed on the younger one’s face. “Are you and mom not—erm, together yet?”_

_“Yeah…” Kakashi could only answer before following another question, “Were you adopted?”_

_“What? No! I’m a full blood Hatake,”_

_Tsunade finally snapped out of her trance and gave the kid a very annoyed face. Yes, leave it to the Godaime to bring out the truth, Kakashi thought._

_“Hey, I have taken care of you and you have bothered Kakashi enough. Tell us the truth,” She muttered through gritted teeth, resulting in the kid looking a little afraid. Kakashi couldn’t interfere though, he too, wanted the truth._

_“Speak the truth, kid. Spit it. It won’t do you good if you’re like this to the Hokage,”_

_“I- I’m not…” Sakusa answered weakly, cowering away from the Godaime. “I’m telling the truth,”_

_“What do you know about your mom?”_

_“Uhm, well…” Sakusa started, eyes looking down as he played with his fingers, “I was born in winter, uhm. You and mom were married in spring just after Naruto oji-san’s wedding and, and—mom is the headmistress at the Academy, but since I’m in the past, she’s still a teacher. And her parents died when the Nine-Tails attacked,”_

_“Naruto? Wedding?”_

_“Shit, am I not supposed to say that?” Sakusa looked up at them with a pout, eyes glassy as if apologizing to them. “Am I –”_

_“How did you get here?” Kakashi asked._

_“Okay, yeah… storytime,” As Sakusa explained to them what happened on that day, every passing second had Kakashi gaping. The mention of them enjoying breakfast at the manor, him cooking for them, and Sakusa helping out at the Hokage Tower._

_Kakashi’s heart fluttered when he said that their Hokage was Naruto. It won’t be impossible for him to be one in this dimension either. And as the story progressed, he kind of concluded that Sakusa wasn’t from this time or dimension. Sakusa must’ve come from another world where Iruka was a female and his mom._

_His eyes and expressions screams like Iruka too much at this point._

_“And I went to the manor because… because if dad was with me, he would tell me to go somewhere who I can trust, and it’s you,” His eyes landed on Kakashi before looking down again, “I’m sorry for breaking in but your barrier was pretty easy to break,”_

_“Excuse me,” Kakashi cleared his throat, “My barrier is a jounin level,”_

_“Well you thought me how to dismantle it so,” Sakusa shrugged and grinned at Kakashi. “Also, is my hair not enough? Dad always tells me he’s like looking in a mirror whenever we talk.”_

_Tsunade released a tired sigh after, probably having a migraine. “Look, let’s go back to the topic including Iruka,”_

_“What about mom?”_

_“We need to make sure that you’re related to Kakashi or him, but Sakusa, you technically did travel back in time but—not really.” Tsunade started then looked at Kakashi. The jounin nodded, he knew where Tsunade was headed with this conversation. “You see, our Iruka here is, how to say this, not able to conceive,”_

_“What?”_

_“In other words, Iruka Umino is a man,”_

_“Wha—”_

_“I think you traveled to another dimension or another reality because I assure you, Iruka is a man.” Tsunade’s eyes held sadness as she looked at the devastated face of the young lad. It seemed that everything had connected in Sakusa’s brain, and Tsunade felt sorry for the confused teenager._

_“So… I won’t exist here?”_

_When Tsunade nodded, Sakusa exhaled heavily. The thought of landing somewhere back in time was heavy enough for him but in another reality? His mom wasn’t his ‘mom’, and his father didn't really trust him and—_

_“Will I be able to come back?”_

_“That—that I don’t know,” the dejected look Sakusa gave moved something in Kakashi’s heart. It was weird, feeling something for a stranger that claimed to be his son from another reality, that is._

_Amidst all of that, Kakashi’s just glad that Sakusa agreed to not tell Iruka the truth… yet. It was enough that the Hokage knew of the truth and adding more people right now might be dangerous. He wasn’t saying that Iruka wasn’t trustworthy, Kakashi was just worried. He had no idea how Iruka would handle the fact that he also had a son—that he bore a child because he’s a woman in Sakusa’s dimension._

The boy looked heartbroken enough if Iruka would react negatively.

After a few hours, the sun started to rise up, at the same time, the boy began stirring lightly. Kakashi watched intently as Sakusa scrunches his face for a while before slowly opening them up.

“Dad?” He called out once his eyes landed on him.

“Still stuck, kid.” Sakusa pouted at the answer and Kakashi took this opportunity to pace himself towards the kid. He suddenly leaned down, intimidating Sakusa as he pushed his headband up, showing his sharingan, “Listen, I still don’t trust you.” Kakashi started as Sakusa gaped at the spinning Sharingan, “You need to prove me more if you’re really from the future,”

Honestly, most people would feel scared right now but Kakashi’s impressed on how the kid was handling this calmly, but the little sweat on his forehead wasn’t unnoticeable.

“Okay, I get it.”

“Once you’re free to go, I will test you and make sure you won’t be able to cause any wreck in this village. If I ever found out you’re faking—”

Kakashi stopped. Then frowned once he realized that he had just threatened a kid.

“Just… I’ll see to it that we’ll be able to take you home,”

“I know you will, dad”

“Stop, Kakashi is fine,”

“I told you it’s so weird to call you by your name,”

“Stop.”

Kakashi sighed as he moved away from Sakusa. He then pointed at a covered tray on the nightstand. “Eat that up and then rest. Tsunade will come to check on you again whether we can release you today or not.”

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

First things first, Iruka was slightly panicking. And maybe still confounded. He had just gotten home from the hospital and he was foodless. He had forgotten to buy some vegetables and meat, and now he was stuck seated on the table, waiting for instant ramen to cook.

Kakashi has a son. _From the future._

Time travel existed, and somehow Sakusa got here. That thought alone made Iruka so tempted to ask who Sakusa’s mother was. The kid was the spitting image of Kakashi, and what hurts him more were Sakusa’s eyes looked so warm, so beautiful.

Iruka concluded he got those eyes from his beautiful mom.

Kakashi would marry someone so worth it.

Iruka exhaled a little too loudly as he checked his instant ramen. Tsunade-sama just assigned him to take part in taking care of the kid, sure it was easy but it was Kakashi’s kid. And now, he also needed to live with Kakashi.

Iruka had liked Kakashi for so long. It started somewhere around the beginning of the chunin exam where he went berserk against the jounin, and he thought they would not talk anymore after that, but he was wrong. They continued to talk and Kakashi even praised him for standing up for his students’ welfare.

Yeah, maybe that’s it. But the breaking point was when they have failed to rescue Sasuke, Kakashi had quietly gone to him at midnight and broke down his thoughts to him.

He had seen a fragile Kakashi and it made Iruka fall in love more with the jounin.

Living with Kakashi and his kid. Iruka was partly nervous and maybe a little excited. His friends had always told him he just needed some closure to the jounin but Iruka just couldn’t. He’s just a mere chunin, not even close to the strength and level of Kakashi.

When his ramen was cooked enough, Iruka took his chopsticks and dived in. He needed to pack and get his shit ready.

This was just a mission he needed to fulfill.

Nothing else.

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

“Hey, uhm… dad,” Sakusa called out, unsureness was in his voice. Tsunade had come by a little early than planned, checked his vitals one last moment before deeming the boy good to go because they needed the hospital bed. She had also reminded them that what they were doing was classified as an S-Rank mission, and made Sakusa swore to not be nosy.

Kakashi thought, maybe he really was a Hatake because he seemed responsible enough. They had learned that he was fourteen years old and Kakashi was more impressed to know that he was already a chunin by ten.

Now, as the two of them walked their way towards the Hatake Manor, Kakashi couldn’t help but grin as he glanced at Sakusa. The poor teenager wore a usual flak jacket, different from the one he had one yesterday, but his undershirt had a hoodie that hid his wild hair perfectly.

Kakashi commanded to keep the hoodie on at any time or he'd be forced to cut his hair bald.

“What?” Kakashi answered nonchalantly.

“You said you needed proof whether I’m your child right?”

“Not right now, your chakra’s still low.”

“AH! I got it, what if I summon one of the ninkens that are from my dimension and maybe they could help us?!” Sakusa shouted, arms wide open as he looked up at Kakashi hopefully.

“Wait, you can summon my ninkens?”

“That’s the first one you have taught me, duhhh,” Sakusa rolled his eyes as he stood back, giving himself a wide space.

Iruka, who had just heard that Sakusa was already discharged, decided to visit them on his lunch break and luckily, on his way towards the hospital, he seemed to have stumbled upon the duo. He smiled, saw Sakusa backing and something tells that the kid was up to something no good.

Iruka slowly walked closer, eyeing the duo until Sakusa quickly bit his thumb.

Kakashi watched in amusement.

“Summoning Jutsu!” After those words were said, a big puff of smoke came out and covered the teenager. Both adults waited for a moment.

Kakashi’s heart was beating loudly against his chest, waiting for an exact copy of his ninken or something that could be enough proof that he really was his son. However, as soon as the fog cleared up, they found Sakusa seated on the floor with his hair disheveled as if his own summoning exploded right in front of his face.

“Wh-whaa…”

Kakashi just sighed and took notice of Iruka in front. “Oh, sensei,” He greeted with a salute and Iruka greeted back with flushed cheeks, not expecting to be noticed soon. 

“Sorry about him, he’s an idiot,” Kakashi shrugged.

“It didn’t work!” Sakusa whined and Iruka decided to walk towards the poor boy before holding out his hand. “Come on, stand up.”

“I told you you’re still low on chakra. You didn’t listen. Jeez, I didn’t know my son would be this hard-headed,” Kakashi commented and resumed his walking, leaving them behind. Sakusa could only stare at Kakashi’s back with a scowl, not liking one bit of the embarrassment that just happened to him.

“Sakusa,” Iruka called out, causing the teen to avert his face at Iruka.

So this was really the male version of his mother. It was still her. This Iruka here still emitted the same gentleness as his mom.

Sakusa then proceeded to grab the awaiting hand, rough but warm, and Iruka gently pulled him back up to his feet. “Are you okay?” His mother’s alternative self asked, brown eyes looking around his body for any light bruises.

“Yeah, just… a little weak,” Sakusa couldn’t help it. Iruka was his parent. And he missed them.

“Well,” Iruka smiled gently, “Let’s get you walking,”

“Y-yeah…”

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

It was weird. For a moment when Sakusa looked up at him, it reminded him of himself. Those brown orbs that seek attention. Like when Naruto was young, how he looked up at him with begging eyes.

Sakusa was something and Iruka was to figure out what was up with that _kid from the future._


	3. III.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realization and comparing parallels. It was hard, especially since Sakusa had somehow wormed his way to Iruka's heart... and maybe also his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the story was previously entitled, Like Me Better
> 
> changed it to Sunflower ^^
> 
> (edited chapter 8.6.2020)

_Callin' it quits now, baby, I'm a wreck (ayy)_   
_Crash at my place, baby, you're a wreck (ayy)_

The feeling right now was actually like déjà vu. Sakusa was seated on the table, his broken console in hand, while Kakashi whipped them up dinner. Iruka was also present, grading some paperwork and all, but he’s different. Unlike his family back home, this Iruka was distant.

Ever since he was a child, his mother would always say that he’s the epitome of a curious and honest child, and apparently, at the age of fourteen, he still was.

And truthfully, the awkward atmosphere between his other dimension parents bothered him.

“Uhm… Iruka-sensei, Kashi-san,” Sakusa started and both adults hummed the same time, eyes glued on their own tasks. “Are you two in a fight?”

Two pairs of eyes suddenly turned to him, Sakusa failing to notice Iruka’s pink cheeks. “What do you mean?” The chunin-sensei asked back.

“I dunno, you two seemed distant with each other,” The teenage shrugged and decided to drop the subject and just continue on with finding out what the hell was wrong with his console. On the other hand, Iruka’s surprised face remained and from his peripheral vision, he could see Kakashi giving him a look.

Choosing to ignore the comment, Iruka resumed his grading.

After a while, the smell of fried fish wafted around the dining area, at the same time, Iruka felt a presence beside him. He turned to his left, only to be greeted with curious brown eyes.

Iruka gave Sakusa a small smile.

“Yes?”

“You grade papers very neatly,” That made Iruka chuckle. “Well, yes. Kids sometimes do not understand unpleasant writings,”

“Ya know, you always make me nervous. Especially when you taught us how to throw a shuriken, I almost threw on at you, mo…” Sakusa paused, giving Iruka a sheepish smile after.

“Really?” Iruka beamed, his heart fluttering at the thought of somehow, in the future, he’ll get to teach Kakashi’s child. “Did you do well?”

“Of course! You taught me well,” There’s something about Sakusa’s smile the made all the worries inside of him fade. This kid was something. His aura was comforting and Iruka felt like Sakusa would make a good friend for Naruto.

Both of their smiles were equally blinding.

Kakashi’s voice broke Iruka’s train of thoughts and the duo made themselves useful by setting by the table.

Dinner was nice. Sakusa’s surprisingly quiet, and oddly enough, Iruka and Sakusa had somehow hit it off pretty quickly, like every conversation flowed smoothly between them. Kakashi also popped in every time the topic regarded him or so.

All in all, it was a dinner spent well, stomachs were full, and Iruka’s heart contented at the idea that he had just dinner with Kakashi.

However, when the kid announced that he wasn’t feeling well, Iruka volunteered to take him to bed. After checking Sakusa’s temperature, Iruka concluded that maybe his chakra levels were still low and Sakusa needed to rest more.

“You just ate dinner so just lay day for a while, read some books, then after an hour, you may sleep,” Iruka instructed as he drew the curtains closed. Kakashi had each assigned them a room- Sakusa’s room was located in front of Kakashi’s, while his was beside the jounin’s.

Every room was spacious, even bigger than his own room back at his apartment. It did lack some knick-knacks but the furniture inside looked expensive and unused. Once he had heard Sakusa was done changing his clothes, Iruka turned around and blinked.

It’s like he was taken back in time where he had accidentally seen Kakashi in his ANBU uniform.

Sakusa wore a sleeveless shirt that’s too big for him but looked great on him nonetheless. His hair, wild locks stuck in different directions that awfully copied the jounin’s hair, and his eyes. Brown eyes gazing up at him sleepily. A true Hatake indeed.

The epitome of Kakashi.

“Do what I told you, and no jutsus or summonings,” Iruka warned with his hands on his hips and Sakusa chuckled, nodding feverishly in return. “Yes, mom,” Iruka huffed, flustered at the teasing smirk the teen gave him, and at this point, Iruka was one hundred percent sure he got that attitude from Kakashi.

With one last look, Iruka bid his good night and gently closed the door behind him.

Iruka then released a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. The kid had this strange gravity in him, that whatever he does, Iruka couldn’t help but feel fond for the teen. Was it because he’s Kakashi’s child? The man he secretly has feelings for?

Maybe.

It’s been another long day and Iruka doesn’t even know why he needed to wear his hitai-ate inside. The chunin sensei proceeded to remove his headband as he made a beeline down the kitchen. As he arrived, he was greeted with a sight he never thought he would be able to see.

Kakashi’s in the midst of washing dishes, and he’s wearing an orange apron. Iruka smiled gently and decided to interfere, “Let me, you have already cooked us dinner,”

“Maa, it’s fine sensei, you’re my guest,” The close proximity they were in right now had Iruka’s heart beating loudly, he hoped the jounin won’t be able to hear it.

“Let me,” Iruka insisted though as he grabbed for the sponge, but Kakashi held his wrist faster. Their eyes met for a moment, Iruka liking how that one lone gray eye showed Kakashi’s sincerity. Iruka then felt Kakashi moving his hand over the soapy dished. “I’ll scrub and you rinse,” and just like that, the warmth was gone even before Iruka could agree.

The sensei finally snapped out of his trance, grabbed a plate before running in under the faucet.

“You know,” Kakashi started after seconds of silence, “If you’re not here, I don’t know what I’ll do with him,” Iruka’s scrubbing slowed down for a moment, eyes glancing up at the jounin.

Kakashi’s voice was soft, so weak, and honest. It’s the same tone he used when the jounin had entered his apartment in the middle of the night and poured all of his thoughts on how he had failed as Sasuke’s teacher.

“So thank you, Iruka-sensei,”

“Kakashi-sensei, it’s my duty,”

“I think Sakusa likes you,” Kakashi was smiling through his mask as he continued to lather some dishwashing liquid on the glasses. “Well, you aren’t hard to like so…”

“Kakashi-san…”

“Maa, sensei. You’re blushing.” Kakashi laughed and Iruka just resorted to flicking some water on his way. “Shut it,”

“Yes, sensei.”

When Kakashi was done with his part, he let Iruka handle the rinsing on his own. He proceeded to wipe the table next, so when he turned around with a damp cloth in hand, he noticed the device Sakusa was tinkering on earlier.

The jounin walked up and grabbed it. He had no idea what this device was, and what’s its purpose but it seemed like it was shut, or busted because when he turned it around, there was a little burn at the bottom.

Kakashi decided to ask Sakusa about it sometime soon.

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

“Can’t sleep, too?” Iruka uttered once he neared the back porched where he saw Kakashi. The jounin was reading his famous Icha-Icha, wore a simple black shirt with his mask over his face. He looked up at Iruka, gave him a nod and the chunin took this as a sign to sit beside him.

“I made you one,” Iruka handed the extra cup of tea he had to Kakashi.

“You don’t have to sensei,” Kakashi puts down his book as one arm grabbed the offered cup, “But thank you,” He puts the cup near his face and smelled the soothing aroma of earl grey.

It was already past midnight when Iruka decided that there’s no use in forcing himself to grade more papers. When he was about to get some tea, he had felt Kakashi’s presence from the engawa, and to his surprise, the jounin was still awake. And so, he found himself next to Kakashi in silence, both men looking at the overgrown and messy backyard while they drink their tea.

Iruka tried so hard not to glance at Kakashi for he has his mask down the whole while.

After a moment, Kakashi spoke up once more, startling the other.

“Come on, ask me questions.”

“I- I don’t get what you—”

“I know you’re curious sensei, about this. Time travel, my son, and all…” Kakashi’s cup was already empty, mask back on his face, and Iruka finally got a clear view of Kakashi’s eye. His hitai-ate was absent but the one that bears the sharingan was closed.

Iruka took a deep breath then gave Kakashi a nod.

“Okay. How are you amidst this?”

For any questions Kakashi expected, that one was something the jounin wasn’t ready. He got himself ready earlier for questions like who is Sakusa, or if time travel existed—anything that’s considered confidential, Kakashi’s willing to share with the other.

But this question about his well-being?

Kakashi knew Iruka has always been a caring and wonderful person, and Kakakshi was used to see the sensei worried for his students, not him. It wasn’t new. It just surprised the jounin that’s all.

“Ah,” Was the only response Kakashi could answer.

“Well,” Iruka started again, fidgeting under Kakashi’s calm gaze. “How are you?” Iruka was kind of glad he was wearing an old shirt and pants, the night breeze kept him cool and calm.

Kakashi, on the other hand, remained quiet. Though his eye wasn’t on him anymore.

“Surprised. Shock. I don’t know,” The jounin spoke with so much unsureness and Iruka understood him deeply. Who won’t be staggered by what’s happening to them right now? Surely no one and Iruka’s partly glad that somehow Kakashi was handling this calmly. And that he was here to help him.

“The kid looks so much like me,” The jounin continued, lean fingers playing with the hem of his shirt, eyes still glued in front. “It’s kind of scary because he’s real. His chakra is as same as mine,” Another thing that Kakashi wasn’t expecting was the assuring hand on his back. It was calming, it was warm, and it was— just Iruka. Everything about the sensei calmed him.

“Having a kid is pretty scary, imagine meeting yours from… the future,” Kakashi let out a soft chuckle, his hands were now on the floor supporting his weight. He leaned back and looked at Iruka in the eyes. His palm was still on his back, moving in a circular motion.

“Thank you, Iruka…”

Iruka’s heart jumped. “W-what are you thanking me for?” Sadly, the warm hand on his back left him causing Kakashi to pout under his mask.

“I haven’t done anything yet,” Iruka said.

“Just being here is enough,” Kakashi stated simply and Iruka stared, still processing if what he had heard was right and if his ears weren’t playing him. “So, thank you again, Iruka.”

Iruka’s already pink cheeks turned redder by the second so the sensei resorted into looking at his cup of tea, nodding slightly.

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

“Please stop,” Fortunately, it was a weekend. But unfortunately, Iruka now has to take care of a chakra depleted kid who refused to believe that he was, and insisted on showing them some Justus so he could give them proof that he’s a Hatake.

Sakusa woke up around lunchtime, and Iruka took the liberty to buy take-out for lunch, and when Sakusa walked in the kitchen, that’s where the stubborn insisting began 

Kakashi, on the other hand, was perched on the counter, watched Sakusa with a bored look as the kid made a hand sign. Iruka quickly grabbed hold of the kid’s hand, determined to stop Sakusa for being reckless. He did try to ask Kakashi for help, but the jounin only shrugged and said he should let him be.

“We can’t. Sakusa, you might injure yourself further,”

“You heard that kid?” Kakashi barked at Sakusa, which was ignored by the teenager. “Yeah! But I’ve been working on something for a while, and if I come back home to my world, I’ll be able to show my dad that I too, can perfect the chidori,” Sakusa grinned widely, and honestly, it took Kakashi’s breath away. His kid—wait, no. His alternative universe’s kid was a ball of sunshine.

It kind of irked him.

Iruka thought, was still worried. Trying to force Sakusa down but the kid seemed to be as energetic and stubborn as Naruto right now.

“How about this?” Kakashi interrupted as he stood up straight, made his way over to the take-out boxes, and observed each item present. “You can show me tomorrow your chidori, but for now, you need to save your chakra. Okay?” Kakashi said as he started to separate each item.

Silence covered the kid, lips pursed and thinking too deeply about the offer Kakashi made, but afterward, he nodded, rendering Iruka speechless because earlier nothing could coax the teenager. Iruka just sighed and proceeded to help Kakashi set up their meal.

Sakusa resorted to setting up the table.

As Iruka observed how each one of them do their duty, the chunin-sensei couldn’t help but to see them like a small family getting ready for lunch.

His heart ached.

Kakashi would experience this without him because he wasn’t really needed in the future. He’ll have a wife to cook food for them, not buy take-outs.

“Maa, I feel like we’re a little family,” The sudden comment from the jounin made Iruka’s cheeks turn red. With wide eyes, he watched as the jounin smiled at him from under his mask. “Right, sensei?”

“Y-yeah…”

When the food and plates were already set, the three men took a seat and stared at the food below. Sakusa was the most obvious one, gaping at the food presented to him, eyes roaming around the yakitori, tamagoyaki, and other side dishes that made all of their mouth water.

Iruka grabbed for his chopsticks, said their thanks, and then proceeded to eat.

Minutes had passed with none of them talking, basking in the delicious flavors of the food and of course, each other’s presence. It has been a while since Kakashi had eaten with other people in the manor, and the feeling was something. He wasn’t complaining though.

The sensei then grabbed a shrimp from the bowl and offered it to the jounin, which he politely declined.

“How about you, Sakusa?” Iruka turned to ask, mouth full of food and he was also greeted by Sakusa’s face stuffed with food. “Yes?” He responded once he had swallowed.

“Shrimp?”

“I don’t like shrimps,”

“Hm? Why?”

“Well, dad doesn’t like them so you—I mean, mom! My mom doesn’t cook them,” Sakusa laughed nervously, hand coming up to scratch the back of his head. “So I didn’t really grow up eating shrimps,”

“Oh…” Iruka nodded, putting his chopstick down. Honestly, he kind of felt foolish offering the food. First, Kakashi rejected and now Sakusa. His actions to become close to Sakusa had quickly backfired. What’s more was the he didn’t know that the two Hatakae’s weren’t fond of shrimps from the start, and he had bought many.

Sakusa sensed that Iruka somehow became gloomy at the situation, decided to lift the mood. The teen cleared his throat, “But ya know, I like ramen,” He gave the sensei a grin, liking how Iruka’s once solemn face lightened up.

Sakusa knew his mother loves ramen so much, and his auntie Sakura even told him that his mom always craved ramen when she was pregnant with him. And in some ways, Sakusa was glad that the Iruka in this universe also loved ramen. 

“Yeah, ramen is very nice,” Iruka smiled, unaware of how his smile looked so similar to Sakusa’s.

Deep down, Kakashi hoped Iruka would notice their similarities, but right now, Kakashi was still afraid. He had no idea how Iruka would handle the information. Will Iruka treat Sakusa differently? Would Iruka avoid them?

He’s just plain scared, and worried.

A light nudge on his side snapped Kakashi out of his thoughts. He glanced at the sensei, eyebrow raised. “Hm?”

“Eat up, Kakashi-san,”

“Y-yeah,” Kakashi cursed internally at how he had stuttered once he realized their faces were up close.

Sakusa though could only smile as he watched their small interaction.

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

“Let’s get moving, boys.” Kakashi and Sakusa both looked up once Iruka dropped two brooms and feather dusters near their feet. The two boys were seated on the floor, surrounded by scrolls Kakashi deemed might be the one Sakusa had accidentally fell on, however, with no luck, it seemed like none of those were it.

Iruka, on the other hand, had just finished cleaning the dishes and once done, he decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at the living room, watch some TVs while grading, however, every corner that his eyes landed on, it was either dusty or covered in cobweb—it irked his inner OCD, nagging him to clean everything.

But the estate was so big and he couldn’t really do it on his own.

And so, he went out for a while to buy some cleaning equipment and there he found himself smirking over the two boys, “Cleaning time.”

“B-but sensei!” Sakusa whined, a typical child not wanting to clean and honestly, Iruka wasn’t really affected with those cute puppy dog eyes. He’s already immune to it. But what amazed Iruka more was that Kakashi – his single gray orb looking up at him the same as Sakusa’s.

Iruka just rolled his eyes, arms crossed with a feather duster in between his fingers. “Up. Even you Kakashi-san,”

Good thing they’re in their comfortable clothes because some nooks and crannies inside were hard to reach and require precise and wide movements.

For a while, they were all busy cleaning the living room. Iruka took it upon himself to clean the kitchen and dining area earlier, while Kakashi did the hallway. And now, after cleaning every room that needed dusting, the final room would be the big living room that contained three bookshelves, the TV, and other knick-knacks.

It’s almost evening when Iruka glanced at the two Hatake’s, stifling a laugh after. Both boys were trying to reach the ceiling by using their long booms, and the funny thing was that the both of them wore the same sleeveless shirts, making Iruka look at them again just to confirm whether it was a kage-bunshin or not.

“Sakusa, go there!” Kakashi commanded voice tainted with anger but it was light and childish. Sakusa though has other plans and decided to push the jounin out of the way by his hips. The two have been like this earlier, Iruka thought that maybe those two were just very competitive because for every chore Kakashi did, Sakusa was there and the kid looked so excited to be with Kakashi.

But now their banters were causing more mess than actual cleaning. Iruka released a tired sigh as he strode towards the duo, hands on his hips ready to reprimand them.

But all thoughts vanished when Sakusa tripped on his own foot, back hitting the shelf next to him, and found himself looking at Sakusa on the floor with the big shelf starting to fall down. He immediately lets of the duster he held and ran with his heart drumming violently against his chest.

Iruka wrapped himself around the boy, one hand over his head, pulling Sakusa in his arms. Everything happened so fast, and Iruka couldn’t help but remember that where Naruto was about to be impaled by a fuma shuriken. 

The chunin-sensei waited for the shelf’s impact but nothing came, he only felt two books fall on his shoulder and back, and the rest on the floor.

The soft voice of Sakusa calling out to him made Iruka open his eyes and when he glanced up, he saw Kakashi standing over them, holding onto the big shelf. “Maa, sensei, I think you should move now,”

“Ah, y-yes,” Iruka, with Sakusa still in his arms, moved away swiftly and Kakashi pushed the shelf up as the other remaining big, old books dropped on the ground with a heavy thump.

Iruka quickly checked on Sakusa, cupping the youngster’s cheeks to see if any bruises had blossomed. “Are you okay?”

“Yes…” Sakusa stared at Iruka’s eyes, his heart aching with longing for his own mother. The feeling of being protected by male Iruka filled Sakusa’s heart to the brim. “Thank god,” Iruka gave out a sigh of relief, still not noticing how Sakusa was staring at him.

But Kakashi noticed.

Yeah, Iruka was really Sakusa’s other parent. Kakashi knew because that was how he looked like when he stared at his mother’s picture. There was yearning. A kid wanting his parent.

That’s how he looked at the picture of his dad.

“Sensei,” Sakusa’s voice was soft but Iruka heard him. “Yes?”

“I could’ve flickered, ‘ya know,” a soft blush crept up Sakusa’s cheeks and both of them chuckled in embarrassment.

“But thank you,”

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

After the incident, Kakashi decided to call it a day and started to prepare dinner after. And while he busied himself with chopping the vegetables, Iruka and Sakusa were the ones who get to clean up the mess they made in the living room.

An hour later, Kakashi smiled once he heard the faint sound of the TV and their laughter from the living room.

To be honest, he doesn’t really mind if he’s the one doing the cooking because he knew Iruka wouldn’t survive alone in the kitchen—Naruto once told him that the chunin had ‘accidentally’ set his own pot on fire, and so as long as Kakashi’s here, there won’t be any pots burning.

Back to his cooking, he was almost done with this dish. Kakashi decided to make a simple fried fish with soup on the side, sadly he doesn’t have enough ingredients to cook his favorite meal so he just has to stick to the basics.

A few minutes later, Kakashi glanced at the clock above the doorway and saw that it was already seven in the evening. Setting up the table real quick, he quietly made his way out of the kitchen and into the living room.

He paused.

Somehow, through the chatters and laughter earlier, Iruka and Sakusa had become close. Kakashi watched Sakusa sleep peacefully on the sofa using Iruka’s lap as a make-shift pillow. Iruka was reading a book while his other hand was softly stroking Sakusa’s hair.

In some way, Kakashi felt envy.

Sakusa wasn’t really this relaxed with him, even though it’s only been two days since he arrived, but with Iruka, he was so comfortable.

Like how Kakashi was with him also.

The sensei wasn’t really that hard to like. He has this aura that whenever you’re near him, you feel safe, that you’re important, and that you matter.

That’s what Kakashi felt when Iruka hugged him the night he told him how much of a failure he was to let Sasuke go.

Kakashi was glad Sakusa existed in his own world where a female Iruka’s there to take care of him because Kakashi was sure, if ever he will have a son without Iruka, he would’ve failed.

He would always fail.

“Kakashi-san,” The soft whisper from the sensei interrupted Kakashi’s thoughts. Glancing down, his eye met Iruka’s loving gaze—the one where it made his knees weak.

“Dinner, sensei.” He murmured and didn’t even wait for Iruka to respond as he walked away, not towards the dining area but to his room, where he could be alone to think of things that involved his life in the future.

It was scary enough to know the alternative universe him was happy, his only thought was that he would be the opposite of his other-self. He would be the devastated one. The one who doesn’t deserve anything, not even Sakusa. Or Iruka.

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

Iruka gently stirred Sakusa awake, hand coming up to rub circles on his elbow gently, “Sakusa, time to eat,”

The boy’s eyes fluttered open, face scrunched up as he adjusted his vision to the dim light above. He lets out a yawn, slowly sitting up straight while rubbing his eyes off of sleep. Iruka smiled, patted his back before he stood up. He instructed the young Hatake to eat dinner first.

“Where’s… uhm, Kashi-san?

“I will get him, you can go ahead and eat first,”

And that’s how Iruka found himself standing outside Kakashi’s door with unexpected wards. Iruka knew he could break it, he knew Sakusa could also but for now, he let the jounin be.

Something about Kakashi’s expression earlier told him Kakashi needed alone time.


	4. IV.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Female Iruka made an appearance and Kakashi's mind was blown.  
> Also, Iruka had come up to a conclusion that would ruin his own thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's an art ahead.  
> Female Iruka is inspired by gutsnstuff.tumblr.com  
> do check out! --> [here!!! for the fem!Iruka inspiration <3](https://prinzik.tumblr.com/post/145623329927/inspired-by-gryvons-courting-the-fox)

Kakashi woke up to something unexpected. The time was eleven in the morning- a time Kakashi never would’ve thought that he’d get a chance to wake up to. He always woke up early, but since his mission, for the time being, was to be with Sakusa, he thought, it wouldn’t be bad to take all the goddamn time he wanted.

And since he hadn’t eaten dinner last night, his stomach kept bothering him non-stop, and that’s where he found himself standing in the kitchen, eyes glued at the open door to the engawa where he could perfectly see his back porch.

The smell of wet soil hit his nose in an instant.

Last time he checked, his backyard was messy. Tall overgrown grass all over the dry soil, with leaves and other twigs littered around, but then, as he blinked once more to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, he saw the grass below had more life in them than before. It was trimmed short and watered to life. No more rubbishes found, and the swing by the tree was free from cobwebs.

His backyard looked normal. Lively in fact.

Years of being unoccupied gone- it wasn’t even afternoon yet.

Kakashi then averted his gaze at the dry mini-fountain and found the two culprits who did all of these. Sakusa and Iruka were talking animatedly while cleaning away the molds on the old fountain. Kakashi took a step further to the engawa, catching Sakusa’s attention.

“Oh! Kashi-san! Good morning!” The kid waved a dirty hand, soil stained face beaming at him as if he’s competing with the sun. Iruka, who heard Sakusa, turned to look at him and he also gave Kakashi a blinding smile.

Damn it, Kakashi thought. How lucky was his alternative self to have two suns beaming at him every day.

Last night, Kakashi had a lot of time to think through the situation they were in. He wanted to tell Iruka. Wanted to share with him that Sakusa was also _his_ son. He wanted to pull Iruka in his problem, but he just couldn’t.

He won’t.

Kakashi doesn’t want Iruka to be involved further into this mess. Iruka deserved better than to be stuck with the thought that his alternative was a woman, and apparently was married to him. It would be so much to take in, heck, the thought of Sakusa was too much for Kakashi himself.

“Yo,” Kakashi greeted as he took a hesitant step towards the back porch. “You… you two didn’t need to do this, you know…”

“But I’m so bored, so sensei and I decided to do something in the house,” Sakusa said while he dusted off some dirt on his shoulder, “Sorry, Kashi-san, but the grass bothered the both of us,”

Kakashi just stood there for a while, eyes glued on the duo as they continued to talk before he was interrupted by Iruka, “Kakashi-san, there’s still some breakfast on the table. Go on and eat!”

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

Around one in the afternoon, Iruka left the both of them for a while, claiming that he needed to get some of his stuff, and to report to Tsunade about Sakusa’s condition.

So the whole afternoon, Kakashi would have to spend it with Sakusa, who was surprisingly quiet. Behaved to be exact. Kakashi actually dreaded the idea of being all alone with Sakusa, but seeing how reserved the boy was, Kakashi knew this afternoon would go perfectly fine.

Until thirty minutes later, not long before Iruka had left, Sakusa announced boldly that he was bored to death, and he felt like dying.

Were teenagers really this whiny in the future?

“You know kid, for someone who was chakra depleted a few days ago, you’re quite active.”

“I don’t feel tired,” Sakusa huffed proudly.

They were currently at the backyard, enjoying the cloudy day Konohagakure has. Kakashi was seated on the swing, praised it internally for being able to keep up with his weight even after years of being unused.

Sakusa, on the other hand, was seated on the ground. Lips formed into a pout as he looked up at him. He’s still dirty from his errand earlier, said that he would take a bath later on after Iruka returned.

“Kashi-san,” Sakusa called out for him, and honestly, it was kind of relieving that Sakusa doesn’t call him ‘dad’, it was awkward and weird. Never once did he thought that someone would be able to call him dad.

He couldn’t even take care of himself properly.

“What?” He answered nonchalantly, right hand held his Icha-Icha book while the other remained inside his pocket.

Another thing about Sakusa was that he’s a curious cat. Earlier, he had asked him what he was reading. He knew Sakusa wasn’t eighteen yet, and that alternative universe female Iruka wouldn’t like it if he told her fourteen-year-old son about the magic of Icha-Icha.

So Kakashi did what he usually does when Naruto gets a little too curious, he ignored him and proceeded to read alone by the swings.

“Hey! Kashi-san!” Kakashi sighed, glancing down at the boy in the process.

“What?”

“You didn’t listen to me,”

“A jounin has a lot on his mind,”

“Yeah, well anyway, I asked you if it’s cool for you if we plant more flowers or something in the backyard,”

Well, that was certainly an odd question, because one, Kakashi doesn’t plan to stay here after all of these was fixed, and two, he didn’t know his kid from another dimension was interested in gardening and flowers.

Kakashi shrugged anyway, “Hm, have it your way, but do know that I won’t be able to take care of this house after…”

From his peripheral above, he saw how the kid tilted his head in surprise.

“You don’t live here?”

“Given that we did a general cleaning yesterday so no,” When Sakusa opened his mouth in disbelief, Kakashi wondered if Sakusa knew of his past. Even though the teen had shown many signs that he was indeed a Hatake, Kakashi couldn’t help but be cautious around him.

Being alone for so long, it’s pretty bizarre for him to know that another Hatake bloodline was with him, let alone his own child from another ‘universe’ or so.

“Say, Sakusa,” Kakashi started and gave the teen his infamous lazy look as he swayed himself a little on the swing. His sandals, not the combat sands he usually wore, gritted against the ground as he moved back and forth. “What’s under my mask?”

Confusion sets in on Sakusa’s face that slowly turned to an amused one. He grinned up at him, “Is this a test?”

“Well, are you a fake Hatake?”

Sakusa rolled his eyes in return.

Kakashi wondered how Iruka hasn’t seen yet how the two of them resembled one another too much. Sakusa has Iruka’s eyes, and his expression and attitude.

He had seen that brown orbs rolling too many times at the mission desk.

Sakusa then cleared his throat, sat up straight and gave Kakashi a pointed look, “Here,” He said as he raised his hand up to point at his lower lip area. “Right under here, you have a mole,”

The teenager smirked before sticking his tongue out, taunting the jounin.

Kakashi just nodded, avoiding to show any signs that he was somehow awed that Sakusa knew. Of course, his son would know. It’d be weird if his alternative self would wear a mask around his son and wife.

Kakashi’s lips straighten as his cheeks suddenly became pink.

Iruka also knew of his face—well, alternative female Iruka.

“Okay. Another one,”

“Bring it, Sukea-san.” Sakusa gave him a grin after. So this kid knew of Sukea.

It’s weird actually, that his alternative universe Kakashi also has a Sukea disguise, but oh well, he guessed it works in both different worlds.

Kakashi cleared his throat and continued, “You can do transformation jutsu, right?” Sakusa nodded, scratching the beauty mark below his right eye as his ears perked up at the mention of _jutsu._

It kind of irked Kakashi how polite this kid was. Admittedly, Sakusa wasn’t anything like him when he was a child, but given that his mother was a female Iruka, he understood why this kid was so polite and playful at the same time.

“W-would you mind uhm, showing me what your parents… looked like?” Kakashi said as he returned his gaze back on his book, cheeks heating up in the process. As seconds passed by without receiving any response from the boy, Kakashi was forced to take a peek from above his book. Beet red and embarrassed, Kakashi returned his eyes on his book—afraid to look at Sakusa’s confused expression.

Kakashi was just curious, okay? He wanted to know how Iruka looked like as a female and—

“Oh god, you’re a pervert like dad!”

“What!?” Kakashi almost fell down on his swing when Sakusa stood up all of the sudden, arms raised as a finger was pointed at him as if he had done something terrible. How dare him, Kakashi thought as he pocketed his Icha-Icha. He felt offended, and the heat on his cheeks wasn’t helping either.

“You want to see how mom looks!”

“Hey, I’m technically your father in another world so it’s just—”

“Don’t! Just- no. Don’t finish your sentence, please. I don’t need to hear your reason,” Sakusa puts his hands over his ears as he continued to blabber non-sense while Kakashi tried his best to reason out to him that he was just fairly curious and not a pervert.

“Sakusa!”

“I’ve had enough of them kissing in front of me, ya’ know?” Sakusa shivered, remembering that day where he walked in on his parents kissing in the kitchen with his dad’s hand on his mom’s butt.

He wanted to disappear right then and there, become a missing-nin or something, but his dad just laughed at him. Mind you, he was just ten-years-old when that happened.

On the other hand, Kakashi wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. As much as it was funny to see how flustered Sakusa looked, the information about his alternative self and female Iruka kissing also sent him to different levels of embarrassment.

It was heart-wrenching, mind-blowing – something Kakashi won’t mind to experience.

“Come on, kid,” Kakashi tried again and the teen gave him a long look before nodding in defeat.

Suddenly excited and nervous, Kakashi sat up straight and watched as Sakusa stepped back a little, hand forming ram sign.

“Henge no jutsu!”

A puff of cloud erupted, separating Kakashi’s view of Sakusa. His grip on the rope of the swing tightened as he waited for the fog to clear up.

With his heart drumming violently against his ribcage, he focused his eye on where the kid was. Tons of images flooded Kakashi’s mind as he waited. He wondered if Iruka still looked the same, or if the female Iruka kept her hair longer than his male Iruka.

He assumed that female Iruka would look so much like his Iruka, except with ahem, lady parts.

However, when the smoke cleared up, Kakashi gaped shamelessly.

It was Iruka, alright. The scar that ran across her nose and cheeks was there, her skin tone was warm and looked so smooth, and those eyes—big, and full of care. Kakashi, on the other hand, expected her in the usual shinobi outfit, but it seemed like Sakusa had other plans.

She adorned a purple yukata that matched her well, her hair was rolled in a big bun on her head and was styled neatly in a messy bun that as topped off with a cute flower hair tie. And her bangs were swiftly swept off to the side, the other side being a little bit longer.

Female Iruka’s cheeks were rounder. Her petite nose that same as what his Iruka had, and those lips—pinkish and plump.

It was Iruka.

This was Iruka’s female self.

Sakusa’s mother.

_Kakashi’s wife._

“Wow,” Was all Kakashi managed to utter as he shamelessly stared. He felt so done, so hopeless, so confused.

She’s so beautiful. So breathtaking.

It made him think of his Iruka here. Both were so breathtaking.

“Kashi-san…” She suddenly spoke and took a step closer, her pretty footwear scraping against the dirt below as her long yukata swayed with every movement she made. Kakashi stood up from the swing, putting his hitai-ate up as his Sharingan started to spin.

That’s when he noticed their height difference. Secretly, Kakashi wouldn’t mind looking down at that sight for a little longer.

She then looked up at him, and Kakashi swore he saw galaxies in those eyes. It was Iruka alright because he also always see galaxies inside _his_ Iruka’s eyes.

“Kashi-san… Sakusa,”

Her voice was even soft.

“Sakusa wants to eat ramen,” She said, eyes pleading angelically. “Feed him now,”

Silence surrounded the two for a moment, Kakashi’s sharingan taking in every detail he could. He knew Sakusa’s jutsu doesn’t have all the exact features she has, but he wanted to memorize this.

“Kashi-san… Ramen…”

“Shut up, kid,” He then quickly turned around, putting his hitai-ate back in place.

Sakusa lets out a whine and poofed back to normal. He was sporting a pout as Kakashi turned back around to face him. “I’m honestly hungry for ramen, Kashi-san,”

“You used your mom’s face to order me…” Kakashi started, “So no,” He then took a seat on the swing once more, eyes up at the teen with a bored expression printed on his face. Sakusa huffed but remained in place, locking eyes with Kakashi.

“What you think? Mom looks beautiful huh?”

“Uh, she’s… very pretty,” Kakashi said with red-colored cheeks, it didn’t help at all either when Sakusa smirked at him. Okay, he doesn’t really look at women a lot. He reads porn, yes, but he wasn’t that kind of pervert that always peep and glance at every woman – or men, that walked passed by him, so when he caught a glimpse of female Iruka, he was stunned.

The only woman he found beautiful was his mother. And now female Iruka made it to his list.

“I know, right?!” Sakusa said enthusiastically, practically jumping up, “I chose that look because dad loves how mom looks with a yukata. I think she was still single back then when dad took that picture of her,” Sakusa sighed, raised his arms up as he stretched away, “I like to look at that picture of mom, but it in’s dad’s wallet now…” He ended his story with a chuckle, and Kakashi could only nod- the image of female Iruka still lingered in his mind.

“Like _Iruka-sensei_ huh?” Kakashi’s eyebrows furrowed, female Iruka was pretty- no, beautiful, but the Iruka here was handsome, cute, and clumsily adorable.

Sakusa grinned playfully at Kakashi’s confused expression, one hand came up to scratch the mole under his right eye. He thought that maybe while he’s here, he could bring his alternative parents’ selves together. He doesn’t really mind if the both of them were men, Sakusa actually found it amusing and cute.

Plus, Sakusa wasn’t as dense as his parents. He could feel Kakashi’s feelings for Iruka just by observing how he looked at him. He was sure of it because that’s the same look his dad always gave his mom.

“What do you think about Iruka-sensei?” Sakusa asked nonchalantly, ignoring how Kakashi’s eyes snapped up at him. For once, Kakashi was dumbfounded. He hated it, especially since it was caused by a bratty kid that called himself _his son from another dimension._

“He’s…” Kakashi started but stopped once he heard Sakusa took in a deep breath.

“Kashi-san,” Sakusa called out breathlessly as he swayed a little. Sensing that something was wrong, the jounin quickly stood up and caught Sakusa just in time, who suddenly fell forward.

“I feel so… tired…” The kid panted heavily.

“Iruka will kill us,”

Sakusa grinned weakly, “Yeah,”

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

“I just got back from Tsunade-sama, telling her that you’re slowly regaining your strength back and then I came home to this?” The continuous tapping of Iruka’s foot didn’t help the tense situation. The sensei had his arms crossed over his chest, eyes sharp and glaring down at Kakashi, who was seated on the bed, and Sakusa, who laid in the middle, already cleaned up.

The boy looked a little pale, Iruka wasn’t sure whether it’s from guilt or because he’s low on chakra.

“Maa, sensei. I apologize, it’s my fault,” Kakashi interjected, raised his hand up to show his palm to the sensei. Iruka blinked, a little surprised at how Kakashi easily accepted defeat and even apologized for it right away.

Iruka was still mad at them for using any type of jutsu. He had reminded them too many times not to engage because Sakusa was still weak, but by the looks of it and how Kakashi was the one who admitted to being at fault, something must’ve happened.

The chunin-sensei released a tired sigh, the tapping of his foot stopped as his form relaxed. There was no use in getting mad, the boys had already regretted what they had done, plus they already apologized and Sakusa definitely learned his lesson.

“No using of chakra in everything,”

“Yes, sensei. I’m sorry…” Sakusa gave a weak pout and to be honest, it was adorable, but Iruka needed to set some ground rules here if Sakusa wanted to recover properly. Surprisingly, Iruka took a seat next to Kakashi, not minding how their thighs brushed against one another as his hand came up to touch Sakusa’s forehead. “Well, you’re not sick, that’s good news,”

“You know what can make me feel better?” Sakusa suggested, his expression serious so the two adults listened intently for what he’d say next.

“Ichiraku’s ramen,”

Iruka stood up and left the room. Sakusa pouted as Kakashi chuckled.

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

As Sakusa slept away peacefully in his room, Iruka found himself in the kitchen preparing dinner with Kakashi, who was stubbornly refusing any help from him.

“I told you, I can do the cooking on my own, sensei,”

“Let me help, I’m almost done here,” Iruka said as he sliced a vegetable delicately, but Kakashi knew Iruka was holding the knife wrongly, and was very worried for those fingers. Iruka continued to chop gently, biting his lower in the process as he tried to slice them up thinly as what Kakashi needed.

Amidst his concentration, he failed to notice how Kakashi looked at him and sighed before he moved behind him. Iruka jumped, almost threw the knife away if it wasn’t for those cold hands over his. Kakashi emitted warmth behind him as he leaned in closer to look over the sensei’s shoulders.

Kakashi was a few inches taller than him, Iruka’s aware of it, however, right now, he felt small just by being trapped in between Kakashi and the counter—well, it wasn’t like Kakashi was holding him close, but still.

“Your chopping scares me, do it like this sensei,” Kakashi muttered, hot breath ghosting over Iruka’s ear that turned redder by the second as the distance between them decreased.

Iruka just stood there, shocked and willing. He doesn’t even know why he wasn’t pushing Kakashi away yet but those hands on his made him dizzy in a good way.

The friendship between them consisted of them hanging out together to talk about the Academy or Naruto- nothing more, nothing less. Eventually, their topic grew a little personal as time flies by and the most physical contact they had was when he hugged Kakashi close, holding him as he poured out all his thought in regards to failing to save Naruto and Sasuke.

But now, this. Was this considered physical? Or just plain teaching but- “Iruka,” Iruka turned to look over his shoulder and paused once his nose bumped Kakashi's covered one.

One lone eye stared at him, Iruka cursing internally because he knew for sure that he’s redder than the goddamn tomatoes he was cutting.

“Let me,”

Iruka immediately lets go of the knife, causing Kakashi to let go of his hands. The jounin stepped back, clearing his throat at the same time. “Sorry, Iruka-sensei. You were holding the knife wrong,”

“Ah…” Iruka could only give a nervous laugh, hoping that his drumming heart won’t be heard by the jounin. “M-maybe next time,” He answered timidly and Iruka wanted to slap himself right there.

“You can teach me,”

Kakashi blinked but then nodded, his cheeks also pink. “Yeah, next time.”

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

“Ya’ know, I love miso soup with eggplant but I do miss ramen,” Sakusa grinned as he took a sip of the said dish. Oddly enough, it tasted the exact same way like how his dad makes it. Sakusa smiled to himself, looking down at the soup and took another sip.

Kakashi, upon noticing how Sakusa liked his dish, smiled lightly behind his mask.

“You can’t go out, Sakusa,” Iruka commented as he pushed a plat of fish towards the teen, “We need to make sure your identity is safe,”

“But no one will know me!” Sakusa protested with a pout, digging in his chopsticks onto the offered fish, “I’ll be good, I promise,”

“Your hair is enough to know you’re related to me,” Kakashi commented offhandedly and the two noticed how his bowl was now empty of miso soup.

To be honest, Sakusa wasn’t used with Kakashi eating fast. Usually, his dad would take his time eating and he’s not allowed to leave the table yet until everyone was done- he had learned the hard way, especially when his mom proceeded to give him a big serving of food after.

“I can borrow your wig!”

“What wig?” Iruka asked back, averting his eyes to Sakusa’s hand, watched how the kid cut the fish sloppily. Kakashi also had his eyes on how Sakusa was cutting the fish.

“The… uhm,”

“I don’t have a wig,” Kakashi stated while filing up his bowl with another serving of soup.

“Please, I’m really just—so bored,” Sakusa sighed and took a bite of the fish, but soon spat some out when he realized that there were still some fish bones in it. Iruka immediately grabbed the plate of fish and proceeded to separate the fish meat from the bones in a very expert way.

Kakashi and Sakusa watched intently as Iruka did his work.

“You can read some books, or clean up the place. There’s plenty to do here,” Iruka said. The sensei then handed the fish meat to Sakusa, who gladly took it with his chopsticks. “But I wanted to meet some people here! Like uncle Gai! What does he look like today?”

“Uncle Gai?” Kakashi raised his brow and snatched the other offered fish meat out of Sakusa’s plate, which earned him a light glare from Iruka.

“Yeah, Uncle Gai! Or Hinata-basan? Saku-basan?” Sakusa then began listing some names, being extra careful not to mention people that he knew haven’t or won’t exist in this timeline, like Boruto and the others. Sakusa also knew that he got to be careful in giving out who’s going to end up with whom, or what happened in their own history. He doesn’t want to risk it. Tsunade-sama had warned him about it. He shouldn’t be sharing too much information, not even to Kakashi and Iruka because there’s a big chance that his reality would be so much different than this.

Iruka finished giving some perfectly separated fish to Sakusa’s plate then proceeded to cut some for Kakashi as well, which earned the sensei a nod of excitement from the jounin.

“Naruto-jisan, Kotetsu-jisan, or—”

“Wait. Kotetsu? As in Kotetsu Hagane?” Iruka paused, averting his eyes to Sakusa who suddenly looked a little tense.

“Yeah, Kotetsu-jisan…”

Iruka couldn’t believe it. Kotetsu was part of Sakusa’s life and—and his uncle. It suddenly saddened him because when he first met Sakusa, he didn’t call him Iruka-jisan, just Iruka-sensei. Hell, the kid even mistook him as his mom at first.

Kakashi, who noticed Iruka’s sudden change of mood, tried to pry the sensei to continue with cutting the fish while giving Sakusa looks to stop.

“Okay, okay. We’ll see if you’re allowed to go, for now, let’s eat,” Kakashi interrupted, and fortunately dinner continued back to normal.

Well, that’s what Kakashi thought.

⋆｡˚☾ ┈┈┈┈ ☽˚｡⋆

Iruka silently watched as Sakusa and Kakashi debated over the contestants on the television. It was a crappy show, to be honest, and Iruka couldn’t care less how it went. Kakashi said he just wanted to watch it because of how bad the contestants were, and Sakusa said because he was curious why this show was popular ‘back then’.

They were all currently compiled at the big living room, Kakashi laid on the sofa while he and Sakusa were on the floor, and their feet snuggled up under the kotatsu. On the said kotatsu laid a bunch of scrolls, and pen and ink as Iruka was busy writing a bunch of paperwork and reports.

For a while, the three of them had watched and worked in harmony. Unfortunately, as minutes passed by, Iruka felt his mind drifting away the more he thought of their conversation earlier.

As days passed by, he got to know more about the young Hatake, and he got to admit, the boy was charming, hard not to love. However, not all facts he learned were calming.

Iruka's really bothered when Sakusa first saw him. He called him mom, which was weird but Iruka just rubbed it off thinking maybe the kid was still sick that time. The second was his mannerism. Sakusa was much like Kakashi, but his movements weren’t really like the jounin’s. Sakusa would always scratch the beauty mark under his eye, he doesn’t slouch like Kakashi, and one time he caught Sakusa reprimanding Kakashi about his posture, which was hilarious.

And his handwriting was better than Kakashi.

Okay, that last one was funny. He knew Kakashi’s handwriting was the worst of the worst, and he guessed that Sakusa must’ve got his handwriting skills from his mother. Speaking of his mother, her identity still remained hidden—he tried to think of any woman in Konoha that has Sakusa’s mannerism or looks, but he just couldn’t pinpoint anyone.

However, when Sakusa mentioned about Kotetsu being his ojisan, it was—how to describe it, impossible? Confusing? Iruka doesn’t know how to describe it but with that information, it means that Kotetsu and Sakusa were close enough.

But Kakashi and Kotetsu weren’t that close to consider Kotetsu as his son’s uncle.

And never once did Sakusa called him _Iruka-jisan_ , only Iruka sensei. And one conclusion came into Iruka’s mind with all of these information he gathered—Iruka would be just a mere sensei to Sakusa’s life.

“Iruka-sensei,” Iruka snapped his head up only to be greeted by curious, big, doe brown eyes. “Yes?” He answered back as he blinked away the tears pooling in his eyes.

He’s hurt. The thought of him being just a sensei to the kid hurts.

“What are you writing?” Sakusa asked, eyes averting down at the blank scroll.

Yeah, that’s the only valid explanation. Sakusa was only his student and nothing more. Yes, he’s part of Kakashi’s life, but that’s just it. A teacher for his child, not even an uncle.

His heart panged at the thought.

“Iruka-sensei?”

“Uh, ah. This uhm…” Iruka fumbled with the brush and ink, his thought from earlier already pushed behind as he tried to respond clearly to Sakusa. “Invisible ink,”

“Oh? Invisible ink?” The teen said eyes perked up. Iruka nodded back and explained to him that only the user that infused his own chakra in the ink could see what’s written on it. Sakusa pleaded to be taught, but the sensei reminded him that he’s still low on chakra.

With a pout, Sakusa accepted defeat and proceeded to watch once again. The trio fell into a comfortable silence once more, however, this time Iruka was forced to stare at the scrolls in front of him as Sakusa and Kakashi laughed at the show they’re watching.

Honestly, he suddenly felt left out. So with quick movements, he cleaned up the kotatsu, pushing the scrolls in his hold before he stood up and excuse himself for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello. please do check out the art ! thank you <3 <3


	5. V.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka and Kakashi had a talk about some stuff until the 'tea' accident happened, and now Iruka was more confused and intrigued. Kakashi had asked Sakusa about his alternative self but then was taken-aback on how mature this kid was, and Sakusa finally got his ramen.
> 
> But of course, nothing's going well. 
> 
> (keeping up with the Hatake's loljk)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello. yes. summary sucks aaaand added more chapters because why not, I feel like I want something more to happen so here it is!  
> Sorry, the update might be slower because some things are happening but I hope you are all doing okay during this quarantine time. 
> 
> Stay safe and read! Enjoy
> 
> Also, everything is fiction and partly some jutsus are made up so be nice to me pls hahaha

Kakashi was known to be observant of his environment. He knew if someone was watching them, following him, or in this situation, upset with something. The moment Iruka walked out was a hint that something was definitely bothering the sensei’s mind.

Thus here Kakashi was, standing in front of Iruka’s room holding a cup of tea courtesy of Sakusa. The kid was off somewhere in the living room with Bisuke. Actually, Sakusa was the first one to be worried and he just urged Kakashi to ‘comfort’ Iruka. The kid offered to make the tea and in return, Kakashi would summon Bisuke for him.

And now, yeah, Kakashi stood in front of the mahogany door, a little nervous. Kakashi had handled a lot of missing-nin, battled some shinobis in the Bingo Book and never once was he nervous. Kakashi wanted to slap himself for that.

After some seconds of clearing his mind off of things, he reminded himself that this was Iruka and not some bad guy so he doesn’t really need to be nervous about anything. He was just giving him some tea, be a friend to him because clearly something’s bothering the sensei-

The heavy door suddenly opened and Iruka’s surprised squeal echoed through the empty hallway. Kakashi almost dropping the teacup.

“Kakashi-san…”

“Iruka-sensei,”

The jounin looked down on Iruka’s clothes as a blush was slowly starting to come up to his ear because first, Iruka was wearing a simple white shirt that was a little big for him, and second, he had his hair down. Which was rare and probably Kakashi’s first time in seeing Iruka’s hair down.

He was… let’s just say in knocked Kakashi’s breath away.

“Kakashi-san?”

“Oh, yes?”

Iruka scratched the scar above his cheeks, looking up at Kakashi with a raised brow, “I asked you if you needed something?” Then the sensei’s eyes landed on the cup that Kakashi held.

“For you,” Kakashi said once he had noticed Iruka’s eyes. He carefully thrust the cup towards the sensei, who took it with confusion still written on his face. “Why… thank you,”

“I—you seemed bothered. Sakusa decided to make you some tea and I delivered it…” Kakashi seriously wanted to slap himself. Why was he stuttering? The last time he stuttered was—none.

“Oh, I was about to make some too…” Iruka smiled at the cup and Kakashi’s stomach did some unbelievable backflips. “Thank you for bringing me one,”

After a couple of silence, Kakashi cleared his throat, “So… want to talk about it?” Iruka’s eyes widen at the sudden question. Earlier, he was bothered by the fact that he might not be part of Sakusa’s life in the future that caused him to distance himself a little bit from the duo. He guessed that Kakashi had known that something was in his mind.

It hurts, but Kakashi doesn’t deserved to be pushed away just because of his silly conclusion.

“Want to come in?” Iruka backed away, pushing the door further to let Kakashi walk in. Kakashi nodded and said his thanks as he followed Iruka in, but not before looking to his left and saw a grinning Sakusa at the end of the hallway with his thumbs up and Bisuke by his foot with a wagging tail. Kakashi wondered how the hell Sakusa managed to be so close immediately to his ninken. He would need to talk to the pack soon.

Iruka walked up to the old study table where books, scrolls, inks, and brushes were placed neatly. He puts down the cup and took a seat, Kakashi proceeding to take a seat on the bed.

It was awkward, to be honest. None of the men spoke, Kakashi was kind of busy looking around the guestroom and Iruka was just looking at him. The jounin had his hitai-ate removed, his left eye was closed. He was also wearing an old anbu shirt that shown pretty much of his muscled arms.

Iruka’s face reddened at the sudden dirty thought of those arms.

“So,” Iruka started, laughing nervously as he took the cup in between his hands again, “Sakusa made this, huh?”

“Uh, yeah…” Iruka nodded and blew on the tea gently. It was still hot so he decided to wait for a while. “Sensei,” Kakashi started again, his bare arm going up to scratch the hem of his mask. “I’m…”

“Kakashi-san, I’m sorry if I worried you…”

“No, just. Don’t hesitate to tell me what you’re thinking,” Iruka was taken-aback, the comment was something he really wasn’t expecting and it send some butterflies in his stomach. Kakashi was looking at him with his visible eye and it held concern, genuine concern.

“You always think of others. You always kept everything inside that pretty head of yours,” Kakashi said and Iruka thought, so this was what it feels like whenever he reprimanded Naruto? It wasn’t unpleasant, in fact, it was sort of heart-warming that Kakashi was observing him.

“I’m here,”

“Oh…” Iruka blinked, his heart thumping against his rib cage madly. Those were the words he wasn’t really expecting to be said to him by Kakashi in his entire life. Now, here, along with Kakashi who said those things because he was concern made Iruka dizzy with profound happiness. The love he had tried to hide for a long time was slowly climbing back up his lungs and trying to escape again.

Not that it disappeared or anything. He would always feel something for Kakashi.

Iruka bit his lips, hands held the tiny cup with such gentleness and the sweet aroma of the tea ran through his face. His eyes widen a little but Kakashi’s voice echoed again, “Iruka,”

“Kakashi-san, thank you so much,” Iruka said and when his eyes landed on Kakashi, he gave the jounin the softest smile Kakashi had ever seen. “I’m feeling better now with just your presence,” Iruka’s smile faltered once he had realized what he just said. His pink cheeks turned redder by the second as Kakashi stared at him. “I—I’m,” Iruka laughed nervously, hands leaving the cup as he tried to throw excuses for what he had just uttered to Kakashi.

“I mean, thank you for worrying about me but now… now I’m fine,” Iruka hoped his sincere smile would convince Kakashi to not worry too much. He hated it when people worry about him when he knew it’s his own problem. No one needed to be involved.

“I’m sorry I worried you, or Sakusa…”

“Yeah…” Kakashi finally answered, his cheeks dusted lightly with pink as he scratched his head, “He’s worried about you,” Iruka nodded and Kakashi replied also with another nod.

“I don’t want you to be bothered by all of this, Iruka. You can always tell me if you want to back out. I mean, I just got you tangled here and really, you don’t owe me. You don’t owe Sakusa or Tsunade, or—”

“Kakashi,” The jounin stopped, eyes glued on Iruka. “Let me help you with Sakusa. I don’t mind. That boy... he reminded me of myself. He might not show it but I feel he’s scared with what’s happening with him,” Iruka paused, the image of Sakusa giving him that smile as they cleaned the house warmed his heart, the way Sakusa muses at the paperwork he does. “I know you’re scared too, Kakashi-san. We all are. So let me help you two,”

“Why sensei?” Kakashi interrupted. “Why would you like to help two losers who doesn’t know how to get the other back to his right world,”

“Because I’m here for you,” Iruka smiled and when Kakashi’s eye widen a little, Iruka prayed that he would still be there for Kakashi in the future.

He knew shouldn’t think of the future, it will be his future self’s duty to worry about staying in Kakashi’s life. For now he needed to focus on what’s in front of him, and Kakashi’s eye smile was enough.

Iruka felt bad, for worrying both Kakashi and Sakusa. He felt a little selfish for getting a little anxious at the thought of him being just a sensei to Sakusa in the future. He doesn’t know the reason why so he shouldn’t blame anyone right now. He shouldn’t question anyone.

“You’re thinking again,” Kakashi interjected as he stood up, “It’s dangerous when you suddenly become quiet,”

Red-faced, Iruka also stood up as Kakashi walked up to him. “There may be some things I might not be able to tell you but,” Kakashi raised his arm and puts it on Iruka’s shoulder. “Don’t be afraid to ask the kid. He knows himself, knows what to say that won’t affect anything. He’s smarter than you think,”

“Hmm. A Hatake huh?” Iruka commented. Kakashi eyed Iruka for a while before chuckling. He squeezed the sensei’s shoulder before he lets go and started to walk towards the door.

“Yeah, _Hatake._ You’re pretty smart on that, sensei,” With that he left, closing the door gently behind him. Iruka stared at the door for a moment before releasing a sigh. He needed to make it up to Sakusa for worrying him.

He then ran a hand through his hair and massaged his temple. So much for today.

Iruka reached out a hand and took the cup of tea that Sakusa made for them.

He inhaled deeply, loving the smell. The oddly familiar aroma.

Iruka brought the cup near his lips before taking a sip.

Then the cup fell from his hands, landing on the floor with the contents spilling and the glass shattering to pieces.

Iruka stared, his hand that held the tea was empty and trembling. His mind running wild, the confusing thought that he pushed away earlier came crashing back in, planting themselves in his brain.

Why.

“Iruka!” His door suddenly opened and Iruka was greeted with Kakashi and Sakusa’s worried face. “What happened?” Iruka’s eyes that were on the shattered glass shifted to Kakashi’s and then to Sakusa who has an equally shocked expression as his.

Iruka’s eyelids fluttered, biting his lips in the process. “I—it was hot,” Iruka sighed, closed his eyes and tried to stop himself from shaking. “I burned my lips. It’s no big deal,”

“Let me help,” Kakashi moved forward but Iruka raised his voice causing both Hatake to stop on their tracks. “Sorry… sorry. It’s fine. I will do it,”

“Are you sure?” Kakashi’s lone eye was keenly glued on him. Iruka’s lips formed into a short smile.

“Yes,”

“Iruka-sensei…”

“I’m fine, Saku-chan,” He smiled at the kid. “It’s okay.”

“Okay,”

Half an hour later, the floor was clean, the glasses were swept away and the moonlight illuminated Iruka’s room. It was peaceful, but Iruka’s mind was running wild.

That tea.

“Who are you Sakusa?” His whisper vanished into thin air.

How the heck Sakusa knew how to make the tea, the same way Iruka’s mother did?

“Who’s your mom?”

~*~*~*~

It’s been three days or four days since he had arrived at this alternative Konoha? Sakusa had lost count but he doesn’t really mind. His alternative parents were taking care of him and that was enough to push his worries away, although he does miss his mom’s voice, how she always force him to clean his room before he went on missions, or on how she would let him help her with looking out for little pre-genins.

He also missed training with his father, and the Kakashi right here in this world was, well, lazy. Not like his father. Not at all.

“What are you staring at?” Kakashi said and turned the page of the book he was reading. They were cozying around the front porch, the grass was mostly cut but it wasn’t presentable either. Kakashi was seated on the engawa with crossed legs while Sakusa sat beside him.

Iruka left after breakfast and went to the Academy. Apparently, he still needed to finish grading and sorting students because summer break was nearing. Now, it was nearing lunchtime and the two Hatake wasn’t still hungry yet.

It was hot but thankfully cloudy. Sakusa wondered if it’ll rain because it was always cloudy these past few days.

“Nothing. I just miss my dad,” Sakusa shrugged before returning his gaze back down on the book he was reading. It was about the different kinds of shuriken. He found it on the shelf in the living room. It was the only book that seemed interesting enough for the teenager.

“I really want ramen though,” Sakusa gave out a dramatic sigh, eyeing Kakashi who wasn’t even minding him. It caused the kid to pouting, “Kashi-san, come on. Ramen please,”

“Kid, may I ask you something,” Kakashi’s eye was still on the book when Sakusa looked at him, “What is it?”

“What do you know about your dad?”

Sakusa tilted his head at the odd question. “Why do you want to know more about yourself?”

Kakashi finally looked at him even though his expression looked bored. “You know we’re not really the same considering we live in a different reality,” Sakusa stared for a while before nodding.

“Well,” Sakusa started, pausing for a moment to think of what to say, but then he smirked, “Ramen first before I tell ya,”

Kakashi eyed the kid, staring at him and hoping it would scare him somehow but the kid wasn’t budging. Kakashi huffed as he turned another page of his book.

“Let’s see,” Kakashi muttered and that was the end of it. The jounin returned to reading and Sakusa was feeling fidgety. He wanted to share of course but he also wanted to explore this old Konoha. And he missed his dad. Maybe talking to his alternative self about him would make him miss his dad less.

For a minute they were silent, the birds chirping lovingly and fortunately, no civilians passing by. It was quiet but it was lovely.

“Dad was an anbu when he was my age,” Sakusa spoke, eyes still on the book about fuma shurikens, “and he became jounin after, then…” Sakusa bit his lips, he doesn’t know if he was allowed to say this but he was talking to Kakashi, his alternative dad. He knew it would be dangerous and Tsunade-sama might kill him but—

“Rokudaime?” Kakashi supplied and Sakusa glanced up at him with surprise written on his face. “Yeah,”

“Hm. So other me did become Rokudaime,”

“Are you going to be also?”

Kakashi eyed the boy before shrugging, “Depends. Though I was informed that I might,”

The silence was back again. It wasn’t awkward though. Sakusa just felt like he was talking to his dad. His very lazy, but good young dad.

“Would I do well?” Kakashi was the one who started now, his eyes on the book but his mind was running wild. He had imagined the mistakes he would make if he was to accept the Rokudaime position. All the people he would disappoint, all the problems he might not solve.

Does he even deserve to be the Rokudaime even though he had killed so many?

“Ya' know, dad still has nightmares. Rarely but he still has,” Sakusa gently closed the book he held, his attention now on Kakashi’s gloomy aura. “He’s very secretive like you, and maybe had a lot of mistakes and regrets,” Sakusa paused as he remembered the time when he was 9 years old, he woke up one night to the sound of his parents awake, when he went to the living room he saw his dad resting with his head on his mother’s lap, sniffling quietly. When he walked closer, Iruka put her finger on her lips, a plea for silence as she whispered ‘papa had a bad dream’.

That was the most vulnerable state he had saw of his father.

“His Anbu days were probably the worst. But what are the odds that he became Hokage? He may not be the best Hokage, or idolized by the people like Naruto-ojisan but the odds put him as Hokage,”

The teenager eyed Kakashi carefully and then smiled, scratching his beauty mark below his eye, “And I think the odds are agreeing to put you there as well,”

Kakashi gaped for a moment, his heartfelt sad and happy at the same time. This kid, what age was he again? Why was he so knowledgeable about life? Kakashi felt like a part of him was sliced and thoroughly reviewed. He was still so bitter about Sasuke leaving and his team now being trained and taken away from him, he knew it’s for the better of one another but Kakashi can’t help but feel alone, but Sakusa—this kid just poured out a few words and Kakashi felt so at ease. Like everything would be okay in the end.

“You’re not bad, kid,” Kakashi commented, smiling under his mask as he averted his gaze back to the book he was reading. He hates to admit it but the kid calmed him down.

“Of course, I’m a Hatake,” Kakashi just hummed at the comment and silence covered the two again. Sakusa had resumed to reading quietly beside him. Kakashi doesn’t mind this quietness and conversation with his alternative self’s son. Sakusa has this atmosphere around him like Iruka, he can make you less anxious, and you can feel his sincerity in every word he’ll say.

Kakashi knew Sakusa was completely like Iruka at this point. He had felt the comfortableness that he doesn’t really feel with anyone, he felt his warmth, his honesty. Heck, Sakusa’s chakra felt similar to his father’s.

The idea of having a son scared Kakashi. But now, just seeing this kid that claimed to be from another world, and his son was talking to him, being all matured and a smart-ass –

“Kashi-san,”

“If it’s about ramen,”

“No, it’s uhm. If I won’t be able to go home,” Sakusa bit his lips, his head bowed so his expression was hidden from Kakashi. “Would you… like, uhm… keep me—”

“Let’s go,” Kakashi closed the book he held as he stood up, he glanced down at his side and saw Sakusa’s doe auburn eyes looking up at him. “Where to?”

“To get you dressed,”

-

“Are you sure about this?”

“Don’t touch your hair often,”

“This is so weird. Shouldn’t I just get a new one?”

“Do you want to visit Iruka-sensei?”

Sakusa pouted, “I thought we were gonna get ramen,”

Kakashi sighed as he stepped back and observed his masterpiece. Sakusa was wearing his Sukea wig but the difference was that it was combed sideways so a good portion of his forehead was shown, he also colored Sakusa’s eyebrows, which the boy complained about as Kakashi was doing it.

Kakashi had also thought of adding purple marks on his face but the kid decided the kid defended himself, said that it wasn’t necessary because no one knew what Kakashi looked like under his mask.

Sakusa also wore a standard shinobi uniform, the old style, different from the one he wore when he first came here and Kakashi had to admit, the new style of the shinobi uniform looks good but lacks pockets.

Now they found themselves stepping outside of the Hatake mansion, Sakusa breathing in deeply as if the air outside the house was different. After Kakashi put some ward and barriers, it was time to go. Honestly, Kakashi kept wondering to himself why was he doing this, it could jeopardize Sakusa’s identity and his safety. Plus, Iruka might kill them and also Tsunade but—Kakashi looked at the kid who was looking left and right with curiosity on his face, he kind of deserved this. Kind of. Kakashi would keep an eye on him.

“Let’s go, kid,”

“Where to?”

“Anywhere that Tsunade’s not,”

-

Iruka hated how he had left a little too fast earlier. He barely got sleep last night, the taste of that tea still lingers in his mind and it bewildered him on how exactly it was. It tastes so much like how his mother makes it.

Who the hell is Sakusa? Who was he to Sakusa?

“Iruka-sensei, come on!” One child whined, tugging on his sleeves forcefully. Classes would end in the next three days and they were already done with the exams, summer break was around the corner and Iruka thought his students deserved an easy last week at the Academy. So now, they’re outside the Academy, doing some shuriken throwing because that’s what mostly his little hellions had requested.

“Okay everyone, like our usual. Line up by eights and we will start,”

Soon, the soon to be genins were throwing shuriken, fortunately, the kids behaved enough that all Iruka needed to do was stand by them, watch them keenly so no injuries would occur and—

Iruka’s hand rapidly went to his pouch, grabbed a kunai but the oncoming shuriken was instantly blocked by another shuriken, the metal weapons hitting the ground and a tree nearby. Iruka gave a disappointed look at the student, who was pouting apologetically at him.

“It slipped, sensei, I’m sorry,” Iruka sighed before averting his gaze to the person who managed to save his face and to his surprise, he saw Kakashi with… Sakusa?

Sakusa, a brown-haired Sakusa who was smiling at him, waved.

Iruka’s heart drummed against his chest.

“What are you doing here?” He almost shouted when the duo walked near them. Iruka bit his lip, he knew Tsunade would go berserk once she learned that the young Hatake was outside. It was dangerous and he didn’t know what came in Kakashi’s mind to take the kid outside.

“Iruka-sensei,” The kid, who accidentally threw the shuriken, called out. There were already tears in his eyes and Iruka quickly came to his aide. He reprimanded the boy gently but firmly about the dangers of throwing the shuriken without control. Sakusa and Kakashi watched intently, the kid especially was amazed because he can’t help but see the similarity of his mother and the Iruka right now.

He missed his mom.

Sakusa then decided to walk towards Iruka. “Let me help them, Iruka-sensei,”

“Sakusa…” Iruka looked at him worriedly and then to Kakashi. The jounin just nodded at him. Great, Iruka knew Kakashi won’t say anything that much. “Sakusa, you might injure yourself here and I don’t-”

“Don’t worry, I had helped you with classes before,” Sakusa grinned as he crouched down next to the boy and told him about how his grip should be tight and precise.

The student had now resumed in their activity, now with Iruka and Kakashi watching from the side as Sakusa interacted with the kids as if he had done this multiple times. Iruka kind of forgot that he was Sakusa’s sensei in the future and just the thought of him and Sakusa bonding over by teaching kids warmed his heart.

Everything right now was confusing for Iruka.

“Kakashi-san,”

“Hm?”

“You know he shouldn’t be outside, right?”

Kakashi averted his lone eye at him and Iruka was thankful that this time, Kakashi wasn’t reading his god forbidden book. “He deserves it. Don’t worry, he’s well-behaved.”

Iruka’s face was still unsure so Kakashi grabbed his hand and covered Iruka’s palm with his other hand. Iruka was immediately red from his neck to the tip of his ears. Kakashi’s hand was slightly bigger and even with the gloves, it felt warm.

“Kakashi!”

“Maa, sensei. Please do not be mad at us. Later, I’ll treat us to Ichiraku, hm?”

“B-but!” Iruka stuttered, wishing that the ground below would open up and swallow him. Iruka knew his whole face was red, Kakashi’s face that’s mere inches from his wasn’t helping at all either.

“You can’t say no, sensei. Sakusa wants ramen. I can’t let my kid starve,”

“O… okay,”

Kakashi leaned forward, “It’s a date then,” Even though Iruka can’t see, he knew the jounin was grinning under his mask. It irked him how Kakashi can be so touchy and confident at the same time, it also irked him on how he got easily lost just by looking at his eye.

“Oh, am I ruining something?” Sakusa’s teasing voice interrupted both adults and Iruka scrambled free from Kakashi when he realized that the jounin was still holding his hand. Sakusa had this playful face as he looked up, looking like he didn’t see anything so scandalous for the sensei.

Kakashi was just smiling, his eye closed. Iruka groaned, pouting a little at the two before he cleared his throat. He looked up at the sky and decided that the kids had enough for today.

“Okay, that’s enough for today, its lunchtime,” A series of whines followed suit but surprisingly they were already starting to clean up some fallen shurikens. Iruka looked back at Kakashi and Sakusa, gave them a stern look before the two boys sighed and helped the pre-genins in picking up the shurikens.

-

“You handled those kids well, Saku-chan,” Iruka smiled, his hands behind his back as the three of them walked a pathway so familiar to Iruka. It was lunch break, he had successfully dismissed his students for recess and of course, Kakashi had promised earlier that he would bring them to Ichiraku.

As Sakusa talked animatedly on how he thought some kids, Iruka realized that Kakashi was on his other side and they were walking fairly close next to each other.

“I’m so excited! I wonder if it still tastes the same,” Sakusa squealed and Iruka can’t help but snort on how Sakusa looked so adorable with brown hair, honestly, it gave Iruka a new view on how good looking he was, how Sakusa’s brown eyes matched his hair.

Iruka then wondered about Sakusa’s mysterious mother.

“There it is, come on!” Kakashi and Iruka watched as Sakusa took a few steps ahead, eyes wide with fascination. Kakashi looked to his left and Iruka’s contented expression was enough for Kakashi to realize that he doesn’t mind walking every day with this.

It made him think of how lucky was his alternative self again.

They’ve made it in front of Ichiraku’s with Iruka and Sakusa already inside, Kakashi suddenly looked back and observed the surroundings for a moment.

When he saw that it was empty, he released a sigh before entering.

-

Sadly, Kakashi doesn’t really like ramen but he doesn’t hate it, and sadly again, he wasn’t seated beside Iruka, not that he minded seating beside his son but—Kakashi blinked. Did he just said ‘his son’?

“Kashi-san,” Sakusa said in the middle of his slurping, the outside of his lips were stained with bits of vegetables. Kakashi can’t help but shake his head, grabbed a napkin and handed it to Sakusa. “You’re done already?” The kid said after a moment, glancing down at the empty bowl and Kakashi’s face as if he just didn’t eat a big bowl of ramen.

“Yeah, something wrong?”

“No,” Sakusa shook his head, “It’s just that I’m not used with you eating too fast. My dad ate so slow while he tells me a story about random things,”

“Really?” Iruka interjected, smiling softly at the young Hatake, “That seemed odd if you ask me,” Sakusa laughed at what Iruka said and the two started talking about Sakusa’s _older father Kakashi_.

And the jounin listened. It was unbelievable at first, like how he always summons his ninken for Sakusa, or how he trains him. Kakashi kind of felt expose but good thing the kid was sharing something that’s not embarrassing. Plus, it was Iruka so it’s kind of okay for Kakashi to share some details about him to the sensei.

“And ya' know, he always cooks for us,”

“Really?” Iruka answered and Kakashi noticed how his voice was soft like something was on the sensei’s mind again. “Yeah, yo—ooooo.” Sakusa coughed violently, Iruka quickly grabbed the nearest glass of water and offered it to the child.

Kakashi just watched in slight amusement. The kid almost called out Iruka as his mother.

“You good?”

“Yeah… thank you,” Sakusa exhaled loudly as he punched his chest lightly. He smiled at Iruka, showing his pearly whites.

And Iruka stared, his lips forming a straight line.

“Sakusa,” Iruka can’t help but think where he had seen those brown eyes of Sakusa.

“Hm??”

“Nothing…”

-

“Thank you for the meal, Kakashi-san,” Iruka looked at the jounin, the sincerity of his voice was so much for Kakashi’s heart right now. Iruka looked so adorable being satisfied by just eating his favorite food. Sakusa on the other was between them, his grin wide and Kakashi knew what that grin meant.

“Maa, no worries, sensei. Let’s do this again,”

“Oh…” Iruka then looked at Sakusa before he reached his arm up and fixed a hair strand that was out of place. “You better explain to me how you got the wig,”

“Sure, sensei.”

Iruka shook his head, smiling. His hand then went down to cup the boy’s cheeks, shocking the young Hatake in the process.

Iruka’s touch was warm, loving, and it made Sakusa think of his mom. Undoubtedly, he misses her badly, he didn’t even get to say a proper goodbye.

He wondered if they’re looking for him.

“Iruka-sensei,” Kakashi was suddenly near them, his hands on Iruka’s shoulder as he gave his infamous eye smile to them. The hand on Sakusa’s face disappeared, it disappointed him a little.

“Yes?”

“I think it’s time to go home,” He said casually but his eye was looking at Iruka as if he’s telling him something that Sakusa can’t quite get yet. Iruka immediately became alarmed because the last thing Sakusa saw was Iruka nodding at Kakashi and puts his arm around Sakusa’s shoulder as Iruka used _shunshin_ and he found himself inside an apartment he doesn’t know who belonged to.

“What? Where’s Kashi-san?!”

“Quiet Sakusa,” Iruka walked towards his windows and puts some wards and barriers that Sakusa doesn’t know of, well Sakusa did recognize one barrier. It was what his mother thought him but it was kind of complicated.

It’s the String Light Formation but something more.

“Where are we?” No matter how curious Sakusa right now, he can’t help but panic. Iruka had just flickered them somewhere and his dad—Kashi-san wasn’t with him right now.

“Sakusa, relax. We’re at my home,”

“Why?”

There was a knock on the door and Iruka quickly grabbed a kunai, walking towards a window to peek at whoever was there.

Sakusa still stood in the middle but his hand had already grabbed a kunai from behind.

When Iruka released a sigh, he lowered his weapon and disabled the wards and barriers on the door before opening it.

“Yo, Iruka-sensei and Kakashi’s pup.” Pakkun and the other seven dogs, which Iruka recognized were the jounin’s other ninkens, were there, looking up at him. “Pakkun… and—”

“I’m sorry for intruding but this is an order from Kakashi. We must stay here with you.”

Iruka just nodded, letting the ninkens inside and when he closed the door, all of them were by Sakusa’s foot, sniffling the young Hatake.

“Yeah, he’s definitely his.”

“But it’s quite different huh?”

“Yeah, but it is still Kakashi’s.”

Iruka just hoped that Kakashi would return soon and explain to him what he had just felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know what part I love? When Sakusa said, "And I think the odds are agreeing to put you there as well,”  
> ughh T___T
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> love lots <3
> 
> talk to me or fangirl with me?  
> [my tumblr](https://damnitmoonshine.tumblr.com/) . [twitter](https://twitter.com/mooncakeiii)


	6. VI.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka and Sakusa talked about his mother and how he was a very good shinobi. Kakashi had finally returned but soon a fight erupted that caused Kakashi to show his vulnerability. And Iruka-- Iruka had accepted the fact that Kakashi would soon meet someone and he won't be needed in his life anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo, update is a little long to make it up to you guys  
> again, update may be slow but i will try my best to long it up lol
> 
> enjoy my lovelies!  
> ( u know everytime i update the chapter increases. i think i need to quicken up the phase of this story for it might get a little boring but still thank you for everyone who's tuning in)

_And you'll be left in the dust_  
_Unless I stuck by ya_  
_You're the sunflower_  
_I think your love would be too much_

“I’m sorry you’re missing your class because of me,” Sakusa, who was seated inside the kotatsu, said when Iruka looked at him. It has been an hour since they’ve locked themselves inside Iruka’s small but homey apartment and the guilt of making the sensei not attend to his class made the boy guilty.

Honestly, Iruka doesn’t mind missing his class, he knew his student would notice that he’s gone and they’re behave enough to ask for the principal- who knew that he’s in an on-going mission.

Since he had left most of his stuff in his classroom, might as well do some mission desk paperwork here. “Its fine Sakusa, your safety comes first,”

“What happened though?” The boy asked, petting a resting Bisuke on his lap.

Yeah, the ninkens were here and they were everywhere. Three dogs surrounded the boy, two were near the door and the other three were just there, keeping a safe distance but was alert at the same time. It smelled a like a dog inside his apartment, and he was sure his tatami would have fur all over but he doesn’t mind. He had seen a messier room caused by kids.

“Kid, no need to worry about that. I’m sure it’s something Kakashi can handle,” Pakkun, who was seated beside Sakusa, said while scratching his ears with his hind leg. Sakusa pouted in return and didn’t say anything.

“Here, to calm you down. Touch my paws,” Pakkun puts one of his paw up and Sakusa took them in between his hands, still pouting but he seemed to be enjoying in touching Pakkun’s paw. “They’re so soft and supple, huh, Pakku-chan,”

The rest of the ninken snickered at the nickname but the boy doesn’t seem to mind. Actually, it looked like it calmed the boy more. Pakkun just huffed and lets the boy do what he likes.

Iruka knew how worried Sakusa must’ve felt. This all happened so suddenly and Iruka too was worried for Kakashi. He hoped it wasn’t something serious but if it was— Iruka observed how Sakusa was smiling lightly as he talked to Pakkun, Iruka swore he would protect Sakusa like how he would to Naruto.

As Iruka prepared some snacks and tea quietly, even in the midst of being anxious, he can’t help but to think back about how Sakusa knew how to make this kind of tea. The taste was so precise, you’ll know just how many teaspoons of sugar was added, and a small perfect amount of lemon was squeezed.

Sakusa was indeed intriguing.

“Sakusa is your name, right?” One ninken said who Iruka remembered was named Uhei. He was on the other side of Sakusa, sniffling the child. Sakusa nodded, his hand reaching up to caress Uhei’s ears. “Uhei, I miss you. You aren’t different from my Uhei at home,” The dog’s tail was wagging up and down as others started to go near the young Hatake.

When Iruka was done making the tea, he grabbed the cup and walked over to the kotatsu where some of his scrolls and exam papers were neatly stacked. He puts one cup in front of Sakusa. “Here,”

“Thank you,” Sakusa responded with his infamous smile as he leaned in to smell the tea.

“Saku-chan, you smell like Kakashi,” Guruko commented, his whiskers gently tickled Sakusa’s side. “This is fascinating,”

“But you smell more like…”

“Oh, you all are so cute huh?” Sakusa laughed out loud, feeling a little sweaty because he knew he smelled like Iruka and he doesn’t want that to be revealed… yet. His other dad might kill him if confessions were suddenly made without his permission.

Pakkun raised a brow before barking, stopping the pack from circling Sakusa. “On to your guard, we still need to protect the pup.” Sakusa laughed for a moment as he resumed his sitting position, now dog free. Pakkun then turned to look at the sensei, who has put down a plate full of snack, “We’ll alert you Iruka-sensei once Kakashi is near,” Iruka nodded, thanking Pakkun before he took a seat on the opposite side of Sakusa with his own cup of tea.

Silence covered the two for a while, only the soft hum of the fan and some dog scratches were heard. Sakusa was reading a book that Iruka gave to him.

The peace was very nice, but Iruka’s thoughts weren’t silent though, Sakusa’s unknown mother was still lingering, he wanted to know, he wanted to ask and he knew this might be the right time but—

“Sakusa,” Iruka called out softly, two doe brown eyes looked at each other.

Iruka stared at those auburn orbs, his mind scanning every female shinobi or civilian he knew that has the same eyes as Sakusa. Those beautiful eyes that Kakashi would cherish soon.

_Am I acting selfishly right now?_

“Iruka-sensei?” Sakusa called out when he noticed that Iruka was staring at his face. He felt nervous at the intense gaze the sensei gave off so he just resorted to giving Iruka a smile. “Does brown hair suit me so much?” Iruka then glanced up at the wig. Oh, Sakusa was still wearing it.

Iruka then cleared his throat, a light pink hue tinted his cheeks, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah…” Sakusa puts down the cup on the table, placing his arms behind him and on the floor as he leaned back a little.

It took a moment for Iruka to speak again but before he did, he released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. This was it. He needed to clear his mind soon and oh god, he doesn’t know why he was so nervous.

What was he expecting? That Sakusa’s mother was somehow related to him?

Or…which was very _very_ impossible.

“Did I thought you to make this tea?” Iruka looked down at the cup between his fingers. Iruka had made the exact tea that Sakusa made for them last night. He hoped the boy would notice.

He wanted to know and he hoped the young Hatake would answer him properly.

“Tea? Oh, this?” Sakusa took a small sniff again, then ever so slowly, his eyes widen a little. Iruka stared, waiting for any reaction but the boy remained unreadable.

“Do I somehow… know your mother?”

“Uhm…”

“Do I know her? Because my…” Iruka glanced down at his own cup again. A small flashback of his mother making tea when he was young came crashing back at him. His mom looked so beautiful as she slowly thought him how to make this tea.

“My own mother taught me how to make this, and yours last night…” Iruka then averted his gaze to Sakusa, “Was the exact taste,” When those words escaped Iruka, Bull, the biggest of all the hounds, marched over to the sensei to rest against his side. Automatically, Iruka wrapped an arm around the big dog.

“Oh…” Sakusa’s gaze was stuck on the cup, his lower lip in between his teeth.

“Oh? Sakusa,” Iruka hated to do this but he needed to use his teacher voice in order for the boy to look at him. He might be a little selfish but an answer won’t hurt. Besides, it’s not like he’s asking who’s his mother was, he just wanted to know how the hell Sakusa knew—

Then it hit him. Iruka stopped every thought he had as he stared at the boy before him.

What was he doing? Why was he pressuring Sakusa into something he wasn’t even obligated to tell him? The kid looked restless, afraid, worried. Of course, he would be, Kakashi suddenly exited with an unknown emergency, he’s stuck here back in time without anyone, and Iruka was just—

Iruka had taken advantage of the situation. Sakusa looked so agitated and he doesn’t need any interrogating from him.

Iruka quickly lets go of Bull and stood up. Sakusa’s eyes followed every action the sensei made as Iruka took a seat beside him. “Iruka-sensei?”

The chunin was sporting a smile, a mix between worried and apologetic. It made Sakusa miss his own mom.

Sakusa then felt a hand on his head, patting it gently. “I’m sorry, Sakusa…” Iruka started, gazing down at him and the young Hatake could only stare at those warm eyes. “I didn’t mean to pressure you. I’m sorry. I know everything is confusing right now especially since we don’t know what’s happening to Kakashi-san but don’t worry... we’re here for you. I’m sorry again, you don’t need to mind me, okay?”

 _What was I thinking?_ Iruka thought and somehow, in the midst of being lost in regret, he felt the kid wrapping his arms around his middle, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

“It’s okay, _sensei_.”

Iruka thought, why was he so worked up with a child that wasn’t even at fault to anything with what he was feeling? He felt ashamed for even questioning the kid in this situation. God, why was he so rash about things regarding Kakashi and his future wife?

And maybe it hit him.

Maybe his heart can’t take the fact that Kakashi would be happy without—

“My mom has brown hair,”

Iruka smirked, “Like your wig, huh?”

“Yeah, but silkier. This wig sucks,” Gentle laughter escaped the duo as the tension from earlier was starting to fade very slowly. Sakusa was still holding onto Iruka, clinging like a puppy needing warmth and honestly, Iruka wasn’t complaining. He had been held by Naruto like this when times were rough on the boy. Iruka knew they needed the comfort and Iruka wouldn’t deny them from that.

At this point, Sakusa was as important as Naruto right now.

“Mama likes to braid her hair, and she likes to bake but she can’t cook for anything.” Sakusa laughed a little and told Iruka a story on how his mother tried to make soup because his dad was sick, and the fire alarm went off.

Iruka shook his head. Sakusa’s mother was a bad cook like him.

“I miss her,”

Iruka just hummed, wrapping his other arm around the boy and soon, two ninkens snuggled on their side. “You and my mother are very close,” Sakusa started again and Iruka’s heart thumped against his chest. He doesn’t want to force the kid but the calmness coming out from him suggested that he wanted to tell Iruka a little something about his mother.

It will hurt but Iruka would accept.

“I-I can’t really tell you who but,”

“It’s okay, Sakusa,”

“That’s why I know how to make the tea you like so much, my mom knows from you,” Sakusa gulped, pressing his face against Iruka’s shoulders. He hoped his mother and Iruka would forgive him for lying. He doesn’t want to tell false information but he can’t risk it. He knew that the situation right now would anger Tsunade-sama, he doesn’t want to add more fuel to the fire on-going.

“Really?” Iruka answered, his heart swelling with happiness and sadness at the thought of yes, he and Sakusa’s mom would become close and he was still in Kakashi’s life but—but as a friend.

Maybe he could live with that.

“Iruka-sensei,” Sakusa called out. Iruka looked down at the kid, who he knew was smiling even though he could only see the top portion of his face.

“Yes?” Iruka’s voice cracked a little bit. He hoped Sakusa didn’t notice.

“You’re very important to me and dad, okay?”

How many times had Iruka stared at the boy? He lost count but Sakusa right now was—Iruka smiled down at the boy, “Thank you. Now I think you should remove your wig because Bull is chewing on your strands,”

“What?” Sakusa sat up straight and turned around only for the wig to be pulled off of his head and came hanging on Bull’s mouth. His puffy, wild silver locks came poofing out of its restraints when the wig was removed. “Kashi-san would kill me!”

-

Needless to say, Iruka’s mind was clear after the talk he had with Sakusa. Although there were still some invisible spots that needed an answer, he’ll keep what he got.

They were still in Iruka’s apartment, some of Kakashi’s ninken had fallen asleep but with every loud sound, they’re very attentive. It was nearing six in the evening, Iruka had served themselves some sliced fruits earlier, even the ninkens ate some, and now dinner was nearing, they decided to wait a little longer for Kakashi.

On the kotatsu laid some various scrolls, Sakusa and Iruka had been looking through them for an hour now, hoping to find a match on a scroll that Sakusa had accidentally stepped on before he was brought here.

“How about this?” Iruka suggested as he puts up a scroll that has scribbles of transport but Iruka knew it’s just a scroll for sealing big objects. “No,” Sakusa pouted and Iruka put down the scroll dejectedly. “Maybe it was a scroll from your time?”

“Maybe. It’s my first time seeing it, given that you thought me different kinds of seals and all,”

“I thought you fuinjutsu? But I’m not that—”

Sakusa grinned, “Iruka-sensei, you are and will be! Heck, the Hokage goes to you every time a new or unidentified seal was found,” Iruka blinked, his brain slowly turning its wheels at the thought of him being the one who the future Hokage goes to about fuinjutsu.

Yes, he liked learning about it and maybe he had made some secret fuinjutsu seals that he had no intentions of using but—Sakusa’s soft chuckle snapped Iruka out of his trance, his eyes landing on the young Hatake who was beaming him a smile while scratching his mark under his right eye.

“You don’t seem to believe your capabilities, sensei.” Sakusa commented, “You’re always so humble,” Still in the process of swallowing the new information, Sakusa continued on, “You should change that, sensei. The Hokage offered you to be a tokujou but you still wanted to focus on us,”

“What? Us?”

“Us! Yeah- uhm,” Sakusa laughed, nervousness was hinted in his tone and Iruka can’t help but to raise his brow at him. “Us, your students. Yeah, you wanted to teach more and you know, between being a jounin and-”

Iruka just smiled as his hand came up to pat Sakusa on the head, “Hey, relax. I get it,”

“Yeah…” Sakusa cleared his throat and the duo resumed in checking every scroll and books that might have a reference to what Sakusa saw.

After a few more minutes, Sakusa sighed loudly, arms raised as if he’s retreating to a battle. “Not here,” He whined, voice higher than normal, and Iruka just watched, smiling a little. “I want to go home,”

“Hang in there, Tsunade-sama is also doing her best to search for a way home for you,”

“But you know, I’m kind of nervous going home,” Sakusa puts his hands down as he gave Iruka a pleading look, “I’m scared mom might ground me,”

“Well, you deserve it.”

“What!? I was being responsible and all, ya’ know,”

Iruka gave him the ‘look’ that made Sakusa shut up. It was scary because it’s the same as his mother’s disappointed look. “You said you ‘accidentally’ transported here because you were playing while on a duty,”

Sakusa grinned sheepishly, hands coming up to scratch the back of his nape, “You caught me,”

Iruka tightened his lips causing the young Hatake to give an apologetic look. Sakusa hoped that he won’t use his teacher's face anymore because a male Iruka was way scarier than a female Iruka teacher face. Wait, hold that thought, _both_ are scary.

“Sensei,” Pakkun suddenly spoke, already up and alert causing the other ninkens to wake up and resume to their stance. “Kakashi is here,”

Iruka quickly stood up and sauntered towards the door. After some words and hand signs, the ward was finally off and the door opened, revealing a tired Kakashi.

Sakusa thought it’s nothing new, Kashi-san always looks tired.

“Iruka,” Kakashi greeted as Iruka closed the doors again. Then his eyes landed on Sakusa, who was already up and walking towards them. “Kashi-san,”

“We’re okay now. I alerted Tsunade-sama. Fortunately, we won’t get in trouble for taking you out of the house but for now, we can’t leave the estate until further notice.” Kakashi informed both of them before he averted his gaze to Iruka, “Let’s return home,”

Iruka blushed at the word ‘home’ but he nodded anyway.

“What happened?” Sakusa though has other thoughts. He wanted to know what happened and it looked so serious when Kakashi told them to leave earlier. He knew it wasn’t just something. “Kashi-san, tell me. Was it someone who—”

“None of your concern. Now fix yourself and let’s go,”

Sakusa’s lips pursed, his eyes glaring at the jounin. He wanted to know and he wasn’t just any kid, he was a chunin for god sakes, “Ya’ know,” Sakusa started as he followed Kakashi around the room, who was helping Iruka in cleaning up the kotatsu. “It won’t hurt to tell your comrades about it,”

“You know it won’t hurt to clean this up but you’re not cleaning, huh?” Kakashi spats back, turning around to glare at the teenager. “Are you done talking, Sakusa?”

Something was definitely off because Kakashi wasn’t this moody. Obviously, he’s hiding something and Sakusa was tired of always being hidden with something. Like how his parents always treat him like a child. How his dad doesn’t want to teach him more info regarding some jutsu he knew he could use in the future.

“We are your comrades and we deserve to know—”

Kakashi instantly turned and slammed the scrolls on the ground, “You!” Kakashi’s voice was raised, his lone eye looking down at the kid, “You and Iruka are not just comrades. I am still the jounin here so you will listen to me,” Kakashi huffed, eyes still hard. “This is not your mission,” Kakashi stepped closer, his breathing a little irregular as he leaned down, “You are the mission, Sakusa,”

Then something in Kakashi stopped. He blinked, lone eye staring at Sakusa’s eyes.

He’s scared.

Those brown orbs were looking up at him and that was a sight Kakashi doesn’t want to see.

It made the jounin look away.

Sakusa, who was in the verge of tears finally spoke, “Fine,” There was venom in his tone and Kakashi could accept that. “You always tried to hide stuff anyway so fine,” Sakusa eyed Kakashi before glancing at Iruka who was behind the jounin, “Hide stuff from everyone,”

“Sakusa!” Iruka interjected, using his teacher voice but it sure wasn’t working. Both Hatake’s stood still, eyes locked on the ground. Iruka closed his eyes and released a tired sigh, “You two go home, I will buy some take-outs after,”

“You can’t,” Kakashi murmured under his breath as he resumed in cleaning the scrolls. “Let’s just clean up,”

-

An hour later, the trio had arrived at the Hatake manor using _shunshin_. The ninkens were already dismissed and the awkward air stayed. Sakusa had locked himself in his room when they arrived and both adults let him.

They were currently in the kitchen, the chunin was writing his reports while the jounin waited for the pot to boil. Kakashi only managed to grab instant ramen in Iruka’s house, plus some vegetables.

“Was I harsh?” Kakashi started and Iruka’s writing motion stopped. He glanced up at the jounin. Even with the mask and hitai-ate covering his whole face, Iruka knew Kakashi was shaken up with the first fight he had with his son. Kakashi’s back was slouched on the chair, his lone eye locked on the table while his hands fidgeted together.

“Kids are hard to understand,” Kakashi continued, still not looking at the sensei.

Iruka released a sigh as he lets go of his marker, his attention now fully on the sulking jounin, “Kakashi-san, there’s always a first with us. Sakusa was just shaken up and you too also. No one’s at fault,”

“I shouted at him,” Kakashi reasoned out, the tone of his voice was the same one he used when Kakashi opened up to him about Sasuke leaving the village.

“He looks…” The thought of disappointing his future son hurts him. Hell, he didn’t even plan on having a son but now, now he got to try and see but he was still a disappointment. He had failed him.

Maybe that’s why Iruka wasn’t a female in this reality. Maybe that’s why his _other self_ deserved Sakusa more than him because he’s a deserving father, deserved Iruka who would bring him so much happiness, while he doesn’t.

He doesn’t even come close in deserving Iruka right now.

“He looked so scared,” Kakashi finished off with a dejected sigh.

For a moment, Kakashi waited for Iruka to stand up and just leave him be, or give him some advice that he knew he wouldn’t take to the heart just yet, however, what he didn’t expect was Iruka’s hand on his and surprisingly, Kakashi didn’t flinch away.

Their hands stayed like that for a while and Kakashi wasn’t complaining either when Iruka’s thumb caressed his fingers softly.

“It’s part of the progress, Kakashi-san,” Kakashi dared to look up and when he did, he confirmed that the sensei has soothing magical powers because his soft smile comforted him somehow. Like everything would be okay. “It’s normal that your child would be stubborn. It means he respects you, and no, he’s not disappointed or scared. He’s surprised and frustrated because he can’t do anything but to respect your decisions,”

“Did I made the right choice?”

“Every parent’s choice won’t always be right but I know you’re only doing this to protect him,” Iruka smiled and he patted Kakashi’s hand. “But do also remember that he’s your child. A chunin. A shinobi. Maybe that’s the reason he’s so frustrated,” Iruka chuckled and Kakashi gave the sensei a confused look.

“Because he knew no matter what, even if he hated your decision to not tell him, he knew you’re right because you’re his father and a very skillful shinobi,” Kakashi looked away to ponder on what Iruka just said but their hands remained.

Maybe, just maybe, he hasn’t failed yet.

“Besides, I yell at kids all the time. You’re lucky Sakusa won’t get back at you with a prank or something,” Iruka chuckled as he pulled his hand away but before it can go too far, Kakashi quickly grabbed it with both his hands. Iruka lets out a soft gasp as he glanced up at the jounin.

His heart was thumping violently against his ribcage.

Kakashi looked so- how to say this, he can’t describe it but he looked so at ease. Like Iruka had wiped away something harmful from him as that lone eye looked at him. That lovely eye that Iruka knew would soon look at a woman who would be Sakusa’s mother.

“Thank you, sensei…” Iruka kind of hate how Kakashi had said those words as if it was laced with so much love.

Iruka just nodded before pulling his hand away. The action caused both men to be disappointed for a moment until the sound of over-boiling pot made Kakashi stand up.

To say the least, it was a little awkward right now so Iruka decided to stand up as well, “Y-yeah, no worries. I’ll clean this up,” Iruka said while gathering his scrolls and folders. Kakashi took a peek at the scrolls, took note of how most of them were empty. “Who’re those for?”

“Tsunade-sama. My report about Sakusa and this... I used chakra infused ink because you know, Tsunade-sama’s a little paranoid that someone might glimpse at the reports because Sakusa’s case is… unique,”

Kakashi just nodded and resumed in to stirring the pot. “Yeah, okay I get you. So that’s why Tsunade didn’t assign me in doing some writings,” There was a hint of playfulness in Kakashi’s voice and Iruka was sure that the jounin was smirking, “I would still give her shitty report even if she asks me a proper one,”

“Kakashi-san,” Iruka warned, his voice hard but truthfully, he felt himself smiling at the comment. Kakashi’s missions were either higher than B rank or something that’s very important that it requires a very detailed output. However, Kakashi’s reports were sometimes, how to say this, not really that good to be presented to the Hokage and Iruka, who Tsunade had trusted in regards to keeping high rank mission reports, tried his best to reprimand and order Kakashi to redo his report when needed.

“Maa, sensei, she doesn’t mind,”

“Well, I mind,”

Kakashi turned off the stove before turning around to look at the chunin. “You keep your eyes on me, huh?”

Needless to say, Iruka’s face turned red and he fastened his pace as Kakashi chuckled softly.

-

Kakashi stared at the closed door of Sakusa’s room while his mind wandered about dinner earlier. Kakashi and Iruka had eaten at the dining area and Sakusa had refused to join them. He knew it’s only reasonable that Sakusa would be like that so he let him be. There’s no use in forcing a teenager. Kakashi knew he’s upset and he was just glad that Iruka was with them. The sensei had volunteered to bring Sakusa some food in his room because Iruka knew Kakashi would be too much of a coward to do so. Well, he didn’t actually think that, Kakashi just knew he would chicken out if given the task.

Come to think of it, they’ve only had ramen the whole day, maybe he was really a failure as a parent.

“Kakashi-san,”

The jounin averted his gaze from the door to the sensei a few feet away from him. His hair was down and he wore the standard shinobi blacks with his sleeves rolled up.

“Iruka…”

Iruka walked up to the jounin, smiling. “He already ate, I checked.”

“Uhm, yeah. Thanks,”

Kakashi’s gut was doing some unbelievable backflips just by looking at Iruka. The jounin smiled underneath his mask as he raised his arm up, wanting to touch those soft locks but the sensei backed up. Kakashi’s eye widen at the sudden action.

“Hmm, well, good night, Kakashi-san,” Iruka said, his eyes casted on the floor and Kakashi can’t pinpoint what emotion the sensei was giving off.

Kakashi just nodded. A little uneasy.

~*~

Kakashi released a breath. His feet clinging with chakra as he ran and ran from one tree to another. He needed to reach him or someone might—a scream resounded through the forest and Kakashi’s Sharingan scanned the ground below before jumping up as a fuma shuriken landed on the spot where he had been.

With gritted teeth, Kakashi did some hand seals, sucking in a deep breath before releasing a ball of fire. He was abruptly cut off as an unknown man jumped right through the blazing katon, landing a solid punch on Kakashi’s abdomen.

However, that was a mere punch and Kakashi snapped out of his surprise and fought back by pulling the arm towards him before sending the other away with a kick.

He ran for him, intending to kill. His Sharingan spun wildly as he spotted the enemy standing up, gasping. Kakashi did some series of seals again before a block of mud surrounded the opponent. Kakashi smirked, his feet going fast as his hand was surrounded by a familiar clacking sound of electricity clapping.

With one move, Kakashi thrust his right hand through the mud wall and into the opponent’s—

Kakashi’s eyes widen as his hand plunged inside the other’s body, exiting at the back, but what surprised him was that the enemy was looking up at him with tears pouring down those doe eyes that he knew so fucking much.

“Dad…”

“No…” It came out as a whisper. His mind processing the scene in front of his while his whole body trembled. Kakashi’s Sharingan was spinning intensely and Kakashi can feel blood pouring down his eye that was mixed with tears.

There Sakusa stood, blood dripping down his mouth while gazing up at Kakashi. His eyes were scared and helpless and—dying. And Kakashi’s hand. It’s impaled on the boy’s—

“No! No!” Kakashi shouted as his chidori died down. He wanted to pull his hand out but his body wasn’t listening to his every command. His eyes were trained to the boy. Those doe brown eyes dripping down with tears.

“No! Sakusa!” Finally, his hand was free and Sakusa’s body slumped forward, about to hit the ground but Kakashi caught it. Sakusa’s dazed eyes were on him as Kakashi leaned forward, whispering, and pleading for the kid’s name. “No, Sakusa… no,”

There was so much blood. Kakashi’s hand were stained, Sakusa’s face was filthy with both blood and dirt but those eyes, Kakashi cried as he apologized non-stop to those dead eyes.

“Why, dad?”

Kakashi suddenly sat up straight, the bile in his throat pushed themselves out of his mouth and into the floor. Kakashi gasped out, partly glad that he had no mask on but the vomiting continued and the jounin, with all his strength, pushed himself up and ran towards the bathroom.

Without opening the light, Kakashi slumped down near the toilet as he puked out all the contents in his stomach.

There were tears streaming down his face and Kakashi wanted to wipe it away but when he got to look at his hands, he saw blood.

No.

Kakashi sobbed, mouth open and gasping for air. He wanted to wipe away the sweat on his forehead and his tears but he can’t. The blood on his hands prevented him to do so.

The room was tight, everything’s closing in, and Kakashi can’t breathe as he felt another acid coming up. He released another cry before puking again.

“Kakashi!” Someone, somewhere, Kakashi can’t pinpoint but someone shouted, and before he could see who, the room suddenly brightened up and Iruka was suddenly beside him. The sensei touched his arm but Kakashi was quick to back up, his eyes looking up at the sensei, “No! Don’t touch me!”

“Kakashi,”

“No, don’t!”

“I just want to help you,”

“I am bloody Iruka! Don’t go near me! No!” Kakashi wasted no time to stand up, his world spinning a little bit but he couldn’t care less. He made his way to the sink and opened the faucet, putting his hands under the running water.

“No!” Kakashi scrubbed his hand harder, going in between each finger and scraping every nails. “It’s not coming off,” He cried out, like a child that got in trouble. The blood on his hands were dripping off but it seemed like it’s stained on his skin. Like a tattoo so permanent and—

Blood. Was this Sakusa’s…

“No! Come off, no!”

“Kakashi, stop, you’re gonna hurt yourself,” Iruka was beside him again, his hands coming down to engulf his but Kakashi doesn’t want to stop until that goddamn blood comes off. “Kakashi!” Iruka’s voice sounded desperate, his eyes teary as he tried to stop him.

“I’ve hurt him, I’m sorry I need to wash the blood off,” Kakashi wept, tears and snot were dropping down on the sink as his vision got blurry. “I killed—I killed,” The jounin started to scratch the skin on top of his knuckles.

“Kakashi—no, you didn’t…” Iruka had tears running down his cheeks as he gripped Kakashi’s wrist that resulted in the jounin to jerk back but stopped when Iruka’s hand hits the faucet.

That was loud and probably hurt but Kakashi just stood there, his hands fidgeting together, his breathing irregular. “I hurt you,”

“No, no. You didn’t,” Iruka winced as he moved his hand up, it did hurt but it wasn’t Kakashi’s fault. He needed to calm the jounin down and truth to be told, he was having a hard time because Kakashi was strong.

“No!” Kakashi moved towards the sink again but Iruka used his whole body to stop and block the jounin. “Kakashi, stop,”

“My hands are dirty! Sensei!”

“Dad!” Kakashi turned around and his eyes met Sakusa’s.

Alive.

But dripping with tears.

“Saku…” All the air in Kakashi’s system was knocked out as Sakusa ran up to him, wrapping those thin arms around his middle. “Dad, it’s okay…” Sakusa muttered while trying to stop himself from sobbing out loud. He knew that if he cried, Kakashi’s anxiety would only increase.

“Dad, I’m alive, we’re okay,”

“Sakusa…”

“Papa, we’re okay. Everything’s okay.”

Kakashi’s stiff form slowly relaxed, his head leaned forward to rest on top of Sakusa’s head. The jounin was still sobbing but his attention was no longer on his hands. Iruka took this opportunity to turn off the faucet.

“Sakusa…” Kakashi called out again and Sakusa’s hug tightened, “I’m here…”

“Iruka…”

“Kakashi,” Iruka, gently and with a little uncertainty, puts his hand on Kakashi’s back as he rubbed soothing circles. “I’m here, Kakashi…” Slowly, Iruka decreased the space between them until he had his face on his broad back, his right ear pressed against it as he listened to Kakashi’s drumming heartbeat slowly calming down.

They stood like that for a while, Kakashi’s breathing was returning to normal and Iruka knew he needed to sit down. Little by little, the chunin backed up, his hand still on Kakashi’s back as he spoke, “Let’s move to the living room, Kakashi…”

Fortunately, the jounin complied without any protests and Sakusa proceeded to untangle his arms around him. Iruka instructed Sakusa to take Kakashi to the living room but it seemed like the jounin’s hand on his arm wouldn’t let him go.

“I’ll clean here, sensei. After that, I will make some tea.” Iruka was hesitant for a while, guessing that Kakashi needed Sakusa more but after a few seconds of thinking, and Sakusa’s soft smile given to him, he agreed.

As they made their way towards the living room, he gently sat Kakashi on the couch, his hands wiping away some sweat on his forehead. He smiled down at him. Kakashi hadn’t said anything or made unnecessary movements. He was just there, staring at him. The tears had stopped falling from the jounin but his eyes were all red and puffy.

Iruka wished he could take away all those bad memories.

“I’ll be back with a towel and shirt,” He whispered as his right hand hovered above Kakashi’s sharingan. Ever so gently, he forced the lids to close. “I will be back,”

-

Kakashi’s eyes squinted, his head a little dizzy as he tried to feel on where the hell he slept. He remembered sleeping on his very soft bed but somehow his back right now felt a little sore. The jounin groaned when he placed his hand over his face, shielding from the blinding sunlight.

That’s when Kakashi heard soft laughter and by then he concluded that he was currently at the sofa. With a groan, the jounin pushed himself up, his feet on the floor as his hand noticed that he currently had his mask on. He looked down, his clothes also changed, and really, Kakashi tried to recall back what happened last night until he gazed at his hands.

There was a faint pink color on his knuckles and it felt like someone had scratched them furiously and—

Oh.

Kakashi’s face squinted. It was immediately covered in a lovely shade of red as embarrassment flooded his senses.

What kind of jounin was he to have a nightmare? And Iruka saw. Sakusa saw.

And they helped.

Kakashi huffed, ruffling his hair in the process. His eyes scanned the coffee table if there’s something that he can cover his eyes with. Upon finding none, he just sighed before standing up to follow where the soft laughter was coming from.

His eyes were still puffy and Kakashi had accepted his fate of squinting the whole time as he walked to the hallway and into the kitchen where he can see the back porch door opened. As soon as he reached the door, Sakusa’s joyous face lightened up, his eyes full of life as he waved at Kakashi.

The young Hatake ran right away towards and fortunately, he wasn’t covered in dirt.

Iruka was also present and seemed to be hiding something behind his back.

“Kashi-san,” Sakusa called out softly as he stopped a feet away from him. Humiliation came back to Kakashi again as he waited for Sakusa to ask him about last night, or grin at him in a teasing way. He knew he got a lot of nightmares to deal with but that was actually the second time he vomited just because of a bad dream. The first time was when he dreamt of his father’s death.

However, no teasing came from the kid. Instead, he got a very blinding smile, his hand outstretched towards him.

“We got a surprise, Kashi-san!” Sakusa’s voice was as joyous as ever and Kakashi just eyed the hand presented to him. He doesn’t know whether to take it or not. He was still a little hesitant, a little shameful of his actions earlier.

How could they act so normal when Kakashi practically bombarded the house with his sobbing?

“Kakashi-san, I suggest you see what Sakusa has for you,” Iruka’s voice resounded and the dazed jounin looked at him. He was smiling and Kakashi asked himself how could Iruka not see how his smile and Sakusa’s smile were so alike?

“Kashi-san?” His attention was now back at Sakusa, who still had his hand out and waiting. Kaashi stared at his face.

It’s like looking into his past self.

Fluffy hair, his smile contagious and that mole under his right eye.

Kakashi finally puts his hand on Sakusa and the teenager cheered, putting his hand up as he dragged Kakashi. “I know you said no going out but I promised we didn’t,” Sakusa chatted and Kakashi could only look down at the kid and then at their connected hands.

“This might make you happy,” Sakusa looked up at him grinning with his eyes closed. Kakashi just stared.

“I know it will! Iruka-sensei had helped me get this and…” At this point, Kakashi felt his eyes well up with tears.

Was it because of old age? Or was it because Sakusa’s smile made him think that this boy was so much like Iruka, and looks so much like his father.

When they neared Iruka, Sakusa lets go of his hand and it was the sensei’s cue to move out of their way.

Kakashi was then greeted with not two, but six sunflowers that were firmly planted on the ground. The flowers were blooming, the yellow petals a complete contrast to the ground and green grass below. It was beautiful.

“I know you like sunflowers. Well, my dad does and so did my mom,” Sakusa was still grinning all ears, “So I convinced Iruka-sensei to help me! And no, we didn’t go out. We got these bad boys delivered!”

Kakashi observed them for a while. The two looked like they were waiting for his response and so, Kakashi nodded, giving them his famous eye smile but this time, a genuine one.

“I love it,”

“I knew it!”

Iruka then proceeded to hand on sunflower to Sakusa, who gave it to Kakashi. The jounin accepted the flower as Sakusa continued to give out facts about the sunflower and what they did to obtain it.

Unexpectedly, his free hand went up to ruffle those silver locks. “Thank you,” The teenager stopped for a moment before nodding, his cheeks pink as he resumed his talking.

Sunflower, Kakashi thought, like Sakusa. So bright and happy.

The jounin then averted his gaze to where Iruka was but the chunin wasn’t there anymore. He turned around and saw him at the engawa but there was something strange about his smile. He looked so sad.

Iruka gave one last smile before he walked back inside the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah, Iruka is distancing himself because yo, he doesn't know the truth  
> but maybe next chapter *wink wonk*
> 
> also, I hope you saw the parallel of Sakusa and Kakashi holding hands!
> 
> It's that one scene where young Kakashi was also holding Sakumo's hand! Yey <3
> 
> comments and kudos are appreciated!  
> love lots <3
> 
> talk to me or fangirl with me?  
> [my tumblr](https://damnitmoonshine.tumblr.com/) . [twitter](https://twitter.com/mooncakeiii)


	7. VII.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka learns the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> henlo! thank you so much for still tuning. update may be slow but the end is nearing! may add more chapters.  
> anyway, thank you so much again for reading this. you are all wonderful and kind and helpful. i am very grateful to be able to express what i want to write about kakairu with all you lovely readers.
> 
> enjoi!

_“Papa had a bad dream,” His mother’s soft voice whispered, her eyes glued at him with tenderness as she puts her finger upon her lips. A nine-years-old Sakusa nodded, his hands clasped against his pajama shirt, fidgeting it lightly as his eyes traveled from his mother to his dad, who was resting his head on his mother’s lap._

_His father sniffed at the same time his eyes fluttered open, meeting Sakusa’s curious and worried ones. He smiled and beckoned the child closer. Sakusa saw his father’s eyes were pink and puffy, his hair was a mess, and his nose tinted with red._

_Papa cried._

_“Sakusa, it’s okay. I’m okay,” His father’s big, warm hand landed on his head, carding his fingers through his hair as a tired smile etched on his lips. Carefully, Sakusa leaned in closer, hands rested on his knees as wide eyes looked back at his father._

_“Don’t cry, papa. I’m here, monsters won’t get you…”_

_The man chuckled lightly and Sakusa felt his hand moved from his head to his shoulders, his father’s grip was tight but comforting. “Yeah, you saved me Saku-chan,”_

_“Want a hug so you will feel safe?”_

_Sakusa’s father didn’t answer. He just opened his arms and Sakusa gladly climbed on the couch and the older man was forced to rest on his back, Sakusa on top and snuggling on his chest. He heard his mother chuckling from above as sleepiness was slowly invading the kid’s system again._

_“Sleep now, my boys…”_

_“Mama…” Sakusa looked up drowsily as his mother slowly leaned down and bumped her forehead on the top of his head. “I love you,”_

Sakusa entered the living room and saw Kakashi sleeping soundlessly on the couch. He also noticed that Kakashi has changed into a new shirt, maskless but that’s the least of their worries now. After he was done cleaning up the bathroom and Kakashi’s bedroom- with little help from Iruka but Sakusa quickly shooed him away so he could stay by Kakashi’s side. Iruka was a little hesitant at first but with Sakusa’s good convincing, Iruka went to Kakashi’s side.

Honestly, it was his mother who had handled a shaken Kakashi so he knew Iruka would be the one who can calm down Kakashi in this dimension. Maybe in other dimensions also.

Slowly, he puts down the tray he held that had three cups of tea in it. His eyes then landed on Iruka. He was seated on the floor, asleep with his head resting on the coffee table. It’s a tiring night, considering it was already four in the morning. He wanted to wake up Iruka but was still unsure if he should.

But then, looking at Kakashi and Iruka right now, his parents’ younger version and of course, his mother’s male version (he wasn’t that weirded out anymore, in fact he was fascinated), they looked like they’re meant for each other. Erase that, he knew they were meant for each other. Maybe it was a child thing or what but even though Sakusa knew he won’t exist in this universe, it was enough to know that his parents’ other selves cared for each other. However, if he did exist, he wouldn’t want any other parents but them.

“Sakusa…” Snapping out of his trance, the young Hatake glanced down only to meet Iruka’s tired eyes, the chunin’s hand rubbing his neck as he released a small yawn. Sakusa smiled in response.

“Go back to sleep, I’ll take care of him,” Iruka muttered, the sleepiness was still there. Sakusa nodded, taking one cup off the tray for himself before walking towards the drowsy sensei.

“I know you would. Good night,” Sakusa bumped his forehead on Iruka’s head gently that startled the sensei lightly. “Love ya,” he said before walking out.

Iruka blinked. His tiredness was slowly being replaced by confusion. Did he just heard the boy right or—he turned to look at where Sakusa disappeared. That was oddly surprising but Iruka doesn’t mind. That boy sure has a lot of surprises.

  
~*~

“You love to plant ya’ know,” Sakusa spoke while they ate their breakfast. After the sunflower surprise to Kakashi, Iruka had returned inside the house to prepare breakfast and to also give some alone time for the two of them. After a while, he thought the two had talked it out but it seemed like they’ve just come to terms with each other without anything.

Iruka thought, was this a Hatake way to forgive and forget? But Iruka let them. He doesn’t want to be seen as someone who always liked to pry, especially between them.

“Oh?” Kakashi’s voice snapped Iruka out of his thoughts. He picked up his bowl while picking up an egg from another plate. The chunin looked at the two talking animatedly, well mostly it’s Sakusa, Kakashi was just looking at his son. _Future son._

“And you liked sunflowers,” The young Hatake commented with a grin.

“Huh, who knew I could like flowers,” Kakashi replied nonchalantly but his eye was glued to the boy. He was listening intently, to every story and facts that Sakusa spilled out.

Kakashi then averted his gaze to him which Iruka immediately avoiding by looking down at his food, not noticing how Kakashi raised his brow at him.

“Sakusa,” After a while of enjoying their food and silence, Kakashi called out to the teenager who glanced up at Kakashi, “Yes?”

Kakashi stared at those brown orbs. It wasn’t an intimidating one like what he used for missing-nins. It was soft, understanding. The more Kakashi take in of Sakusa’s silver hair, the beauty mark on the corner of his eyes, the sharp nose, his cheeks that still contained some baby fats— the more Kakashi realized that Sakusa wasn’t just a kid sitting before him. He was a chunin, a strong and genius shinobi that his alternative self has as a son.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” Kakashi started causing the young Hatake to freeze. Iruka also paused for a moment. Might as well talk to them now, Kakashi thought.

The jounin took a deep breath as he sets his chopsticks down next to his plate. He knew they still needed to talk about what happened yesterday and the night after, it might be embarrassing on Kakashi’s side but he thought, Sakusa and Iruka deserved to know.

“I didn’t want the both of you to worry but I guess it only prompted it more,” Kakashi doesn’t really apologize this sincerely, not even to the ANBUs and other jounins he had pissed. He was always the superior one and with that—it brought back the memory of his friends. Sakusa was right, he was also a comrade and they shouldn’t be left behind in anything.

“Whatever is it, Kashi-san. We’re here to listen and to work together,” Kakashi smiled lightly at Sakusa’s determination. His other self raised the kid right.

“I planned to keep it by myself at first because I’m not sure about their target,” He supplied out information, glancing up at Iruka and Sakusa. “The day we went out I felt them. They followed us to the Academy from Ichiraku. At first, I thought it wasn’t anything serious, maybe a curious genin but then I remembered their chakra. I felt them a week ago, even before you came here so I concluded that their main target is me, not Sakusa or you, Iruka-sensei…” Kakashi lazily pushed his empty bowl away from him as he looked at how Sakusa’s expression changed from calm to a little scared.

Iruka remained the same, maybe more determined to find out who the culprits were.

“Maa, anyway, that’s why I didn’t want to tell yet because I don’t know what or who were following us and the best way was for Iruka-sensei to transport the both of you in his safe home,” He looked at Iruka, “You have the best ward I’ll say. I didn’t detect your chakras and my ninkens when I arrived at your front door.” The jounin gave out a small chuckle that caused a blush out of the chunin.

However, Sakusa didn’t feel a little calm. He felt guilty and worried. He might’ve acted a little childish because he didn’t know it was that serious. God, he can imagine his mom reprimanding him for talking back to adult Kakashi. The thought alone sent a shiver down his spine.

“Kashi-san, I want to say sorry…” He pouted, the chopstick he held played with the rice in his bowl slowly, “I should’ve not—”

Kakashi gave Sakusa a stern look, “My wish was for you to not blame yourself. It’s not your fault. You just did what a shinobi must do. To be worried and want to know the situation,” Sakusa’s solemn expression remained but he nodded in agreement. He hoped Sakusa won’t take it to the heart too much.

Kakashi glanced back at Iruka when his eyes noticed the sensei’s hand. Iruka’s knuckles were painted with a faint hue of red, small patch of skin was peeled off as the memory of Kakashi pushing Iruka’s hand away last night, hitting the faucet, flooded back.

Iruka, who seemed to notice the jounin looking at him, or more like looking down at his hand, quickly grabbed his almost empty bowl before standing up. “I’ll clean up here, how about you two head to the living room?” The way Iruka said it was a little too fast for Kakashi’s liking but he let him be. It’s kind of hard to figure out the sensei right now.

Sakusa nodded in agreement, giving his empty bowl to Iruka before returning his eyes to Kakashi, “Kashi-san,” Guilt was laced in Sakusa’s voice, like a kid that ate some candy before dinner.

“Hm?”

“I’m sorry for talking back yesterday. It’s not good. Mom would kill me if she knew I talked back with an adult, especially with dad,” Even though his apology emitted a small chuckle from Kakashi, he knew that Sakusa was sincere.

“Hey, it’s fine. We’re even now, you know,”

“How?”

“Well, you helped me last night…” Kakashi felt his cheeks heating up when Sakusa’s expression suddenly went all happy, “Thank you for last night, kid.” Both boys blushed, mostly Kakashi because he was still embarrassed at the thought of breaking down in front of Iruka and Sakusa. Every time his nightmares attack he’s alone and that was fine, Kakashi was used to it, but yesterday night, Kakashi had concluded that it’s not that bad to have someone taking care of you after a nightmare.

“Kashi-san…”

“Yes?”

Sakusa suddenly scooted closer to Kakashi only to wrap his arms around the jounin’s shoulders. Kakashi of course wasn’t ready by the sudden contact, he could only flinch back as Sakusa pressed his cheeks against his arms, “Heyyy,’

“This is the part where we huuuuug!” Sakusa laughed out loud and honestly, Kakashi never thought that his son would end up clingy. He wasn’t like this when he was young—maybe it was Iruka.

_Not that he was complaining. He was just surprised._

Then the unexpected happened, Kakashi laughed along wholeheartedly. Sakusa just snuggled closer, both boys enjoying each other’s warmth and presence.

By the kitchen’s doorway, there Iruka stood looking at the duo. He smiled. Finally, those two idiots had talked it out. Iruka just prayed they won’t argue anymore because honestly, he doesn’t know which one of them he should side.

Kakashi looked so happy though. It stings but Kakashi deserved this.

One last glance, he walked off to do the dishes.

-

“Iruka,” the chunin-sensei jumped a little, almost dropping the plate he held but gladly didn’t. Kakashi gave him his eye smile, as if apologizing. Iruka released a sigh before turning back to the sink to continue washing.

“Sorry for surprising you,”

“It’s okay. What’s up Kakashi-san?” Iruka replied, his hands still scrubbing some plates from last night. In the corner of his eyes, he saw Kakashi frown.

“Are you mad at me?” The question was sudden and out of the topic. It made Iruka worried that he might’ve done something wrong.

Turning off the faucet and wiping his hands on his pants, he finally turned to look at Kakashi with wide, concerned eyes. The sensei stared for a moment before he shook his head, eyebrows arched up.

“No! Why would I be?” His face was covered with a shade of red but Kakashi saw a slight hesitation and regret in those eyes. Cautiously, Kakashi reached out to touch Iruka’s hand gently. The one with the bruised knuckles.

Iruka flinched as he took a step back but the jounin was faster, he captured the hand gently, running his thumb over the sore spot. “I did this, right?”

“Kakashi-san…”

“I’m sorry if I hurt you yesterday,” When Iruka finally met Kakashi’s lone eye, his breath hitched. The jounin looked hurt, regret was clearly pouring out of him and Iruka doesn’t want that. He knew Kakashi would blame himself and that would be wrong. Perhaps he had avoided Kakashi so much—but it just, it hurts so much just by looking at Kakashi and Sakusa all happy.

“No… No, Kakashi-san, it’s okay,” Iruka managed to answer, the hand that Kakashi held was warm and Iruka took the opportunity to put his other hand above Kakashi’s. “I’m okay,” His answer brought a smile to Kakashi’s face. It was a gentle smile, loving, and everything Iruka had fallen for.

Fallen for.

“This is nothing compared to what you felt” Iruka stated, “So please don’t blame yourself.”

“Iruka…” Sadly, the brunet pulled his hands away, leaving Kakahsi standing with his hand still in place. Iruka then turned back to the dirty dishes on the sink. “And no, I’m not mad at you or anything,” Iruka murmured under his breath as he turned on the faucet again, “I just have a lot of things in my mind—”

Iruka paused as he released a small gasp once he felt Kakashi’s hand on his head.

“W-wha…” He could hear his heart drumming widly, sweat was slowly forming on his forehead and he felt so scared to look at the jounin right now because Iruka knew, if he looked, he would succumb to that eye.

Iruka expected Kakashi to ruffle his hair, or say something nice but what he didn’t expect was Kakashi’s hand pulling his head towards him until Kakashi’s head bumped against his gently.

“Thank you, Iruka. Thank you so much,”

Tears started to pool on his eyes as Iruka bit his lips.

He loves Kakashi. And he loathes himself for loving him because—because Sakusa exists, meaning he and Kakashi would never happen… and he had grown to love the boy, Kakashi’s son from a woman.

So Iruka did what’s best. He increased the space between them causing Kakashi to let go of him. Iruka beamed him a smile and hoped Kakashi would assume that he got all teary because he was glad to somehow be able to help him.

“No worries. That’s what friends are for huh?”

Kakashi watched for a moment and honestly, Iruka felt like he was being interrogated, but then Kakashi nodded, answering a faint, _“Yeah…”_

~*~

Two days had passed and, fortunately, it was an uneventful two days. Iruka was the one assigned to go to Tsunade to do reports and other stuff, plus he was also off duty in teaching. It saddened Iruka at first but the sensei knew it was for their own safety so he just complied.

Kakashi had stayed inside the manor the past few days, monitoring their environment and making sure Sakusa won’t kill himself for how bored he was. The teenager declared that he was dying if he didn’t do anything. Kakashi wondered if this was how teenagers were because the last time he checked, the only one who complained a lot was Naruto. But then again, if Naruto was here, he would whine about being bored too.

So in order to keep Sakusa alive and kicking, he and Kakashi had been sparring. Teach him a few moves and all. Iruka also sparred with Sakusa but the sensei chose to teach him some few fuinjutsu instead. Who knew Iruka was really knowledgeable when it comes to traps, wards, and sealings. Kakashi took note to ask him about it some other time.

Unsurprisingly, Sakusa wasn’t bad at taijutsu. He wasn’t near good but Kakashi felt how strong his kicks and punches were, maybe even stronger than how his genin team fight. Their sparring consists of using muscles and equipment, no chakras were used for they were still unsure whether Sakusa would feel exhausted again or not, however, it has been a week since he had arrived here. For sure he’ll be in good shape, right? No more chakra depletion?

“Tomorrow morning, we will try ninjutsu,” Kakashi announced once they’ve finished sparring. He wiped away the sweat on his forehead, he wasn’t wearing his hitai-ate but he made sure his other eye remained close throughout the fight.

Sakusa, upon hearing what Kakashi had said, gasped in excitement, his mouth open in a silent cheer. “Really? Yes! I actually wanted dad to check out my chidori but he didn’t have much time and I was away for a month. Maybe you could tell me what I can do to perfect it,” The kid rambled on and on about his jutsus and Kakashi let him be.

Slowly, they walked towards the engawa, hungry and ditry while Iruka stood by, watching the duo, “Good job today, Sakusa.” Iruka complimented with a smile and the kid excitedly told him that he would train tomorrow with Kakashi using ninjutsu.

The sensei eyed the jounin warily, who just shrugged while taking off his gloves, “We do need to see if he won’t faint anymore,”

“Hmm… well, as long as I am here to watch, you two can proceed…”

“Yes!” Sakusa’s grinned widely, his hand coming up to scratch the beauty mark under his right eye.

Iruka looked at Sakusa then to Kakashi. He gave a slight nod to the two of them before walking back inside the house.

Yes, two days had passed and those two days, Iruka seemed so distant. Kakashi noticed it one time when he and Sakusa were browsing some scrolls again, they invited Iruka to join them at the living room but the sensei refused and told them he was tired. Also, that time they were eating snacks, Kakashi patted the seat next to him but Iruka sat beside Sakusa instead—the jounin had to admit it was so petty to be jealous about it.

But still.

Maybe he’ll get to talk to Iruka soon.

-

“You’ve got to train with Guy, huh?” Kakashi said as he puts a foot on Sakusa’s back not so gently but not enough to crush the kid’s spine. “I have to say I’m impressed with your taijutsu but I think you’ve forgotten we’re not here for that,” As Kakashi spoke those words, his right hand started to flicker with bright blue electricity but stopped when his nightmare from before invaded his mind. Kakashi groaned internally and proceeded to stomp on Sakusa’s shoulder, however, the teenager suddenly disappeared with a poof causing Kakashi to step back.

The jounin halt once he felt hands on his ankle before he was sucked into the ground with Sakusa coming out with a smirk planted on his face.

Kakashi was buried from the neck below, like what he once did to Sasuke.

“I win old man,” Sakusa remarked, still smirking.

“Really?” Kakashi questioned back nonchalantly and then suddenly, mud started to flow up from below, covering him quickly before it flattened out into nothing. Sakusa jumped, turned to look at his left, and dodged an oncoming kunai.

Kakashi was by the roof, looking down at him with a bored expression and honestly, Kashi-san was so different from his dad because he looked like he doesn’t even care and it irked the young Hatake more. “You said not on the roof!”

“I said _you’re_ not allowed here and I’m not you,”

Sakusa then looked at Iruka, who was seated and watching them intently, with a pout, “He’s unfair, sensei,” Iruka just shrugged, giving the boy an apologetic look.

Sakusa being Sakusa, not wanting to lose to his dad’s other self, grabbed a kunai from his pocket as soon as Kakashi landed on the ground. He threw the kunai which the jounin avoided flawlessly.

Sakusa yelled, running towards Kakashi. The jounin crossed his arms, blocking successfully the punch Sakusa had just landed on him. He then proceeded to grab the younger one’s arm before kicking him right in the abdomen. Unfortunately, the kid disappeared with a cloud of smoke and it made Kakashi duck down before jumping away, almost getting hit by the katon from behind.

Sakusa stumbled a bit, groaning when his fire jutsu didn’t even hit him. The kid gritted his teeth as he breathed in quickly, feet a little imbalance.

Iruka’s eyes widen at this.

The fire was quite big and Sakusa did his best to not affect the flowers at the side. When the fire faded, Kakashi wasn’t there anymore and before Sakusa could move away, Kakashi had taken a hold of his neck and he saw at the corner of his eyes a kunai heading his way.

Before Sakusa could think, he raised his hand causing the kunai to impale in between his fingers.

Kakashi’s face was in deep shock, not expecting for Sakusa to take the kunai. Kakashi tried to pull it off but Sakusa’s fingers clenched around it. The young Hatake bit his lips, eyes weary as he gave Kakashi an exhausted smirk.

“Stop!” Kakashi heard Iruka’s voice from the engawa and before he could hold down Sakusa, a familiar clapping of electricity, so familiar to Kakashi, resounded. The electricity to Sakusa’s hand that held the kunai was an intense blue with a hue of white, black, and a mix of Sakusa’s blood. Before Kakashi could react, he saw it climbing slowly to the kunai.

With a swift movement, Kakashi lets go of the kunai, stepped his feet to the side before stamping his palm square on Sakusa’s back.

The kid huffed out with shock, the chidori dying down and before he could fall forward Kakashi had caught him quickly.

The kunai landed with a loud clank as Sakusa coughed violently, his vision blurry and he felt his whole body trembling. What’s scarier was that the pain didn’t come from Kakashi’s attack on his back. It felt like his whole body was sucked dry. He doesn’t know if it’s one of Kakashi’s jutsu or not but it left him feeling so drained.

“Look at me,” His cheeks were cupped with warm hands and Sakusa’s dazed eyes looked up at Iruka’s worried ones. “You good, kid?”

Sakusa’s breath hitched, eyes closing when he felt a very familiar chakra. He can’t pinpoint where but he just felt it. “Mom…” Sakusa muttered and the last thing he heard before fainting was Iruka’s voice commanding Kakashi to take him inside.

-

“You only did one jutsu and you acted like you’ve been fighting for hours,” Kakashi said, looking at the resting Sakusa on his bed. It was already two in the afternoon, Sakusa had already skipped lunch due to being unconscious but now he was awake, his clothes already changed courtesy of Iruka.

The sensei was by Sakusa’s side, checking his temperature and body for any more bruises, besides the one on his hand. Kakashi had already tended with Sakusa’s hand.

Sakusa’s eyes adjusted to the light coming from the window behind him. He had just woke up and their reprimanding face was the one who welcomed him. It’s like his parents. That thought made him chuckle a little.

“Do you feel weak?” Iruka interrupted, letting go of Sakusa’s hand.

“A little tired but I’m good,” Iruka hummed at the answer before scribbling on the clipboard he held. It mostly contained information about Sakusa’s condition from day one, it’s very important to take note of everything so that Tsunade can assess them on what to do.

Kakashi peaked at the board and took note of all the writings inside. Iruka then grabbed for the glass of water on the nightstand as he carefully assisted Sakusa in taking a sip. The teenager felt like a kid again. Whenever he got sick, his mom would skip work to take care of him, she also gives him take-out ramen from Ichiraku which his dad doesn’t approve of.

When he was done, Iruka went back to his clipboard.

“Sakusa, do you usually feel tired after a katon?” He questioned, his brown eyes glancing up at Sakusa’s similar ones.

“No… no, I don’t. I’ve been on missions and I can fight hours long,” Sakusa replied, looking down to see his wrapped up left hand. Oh yeah, he caught the kunai. He then glanced up at Iruka with worried eyes, “Am I like this because… because I’m in another dimension?”

“Dimension?” Iruka asked back with his brows raised and his head tilted in the process. “Don’t you mean different time?” When Sakusa didn’t answer, Iruka released a tired sigh. He doesn’t know whether it would be a good idea to tell this to Sakusa but the boy has the right to know what he and Tsunade had been discussing about the past few weeks.

Sakusa was partly correct about being weak because of a different time.

Iruka looked at Kakashi, showed him the clipboard and waited for a few moments as the jounin read what was written on it.

“Well, I thought of it, too, sensei.” The jounin handed the clipboard back as Sakusa’s voice interrupted them, “What is it? Please tell me,”

Iruka watched the boy for a while, running his eyes through pleading looks and wild hair. No matter how much he wanted to spare the boy from knowing what he and the Hokage have been investigating about, he can’t ignore the fact that Sakusa deserved to know, right?

Iruka pressed his fingers on his temple as he spoke, “Tsunade-sama and I had been theorizing your condition the past few days. When you arrived, we thought that it was normal for you to loose almost half of your chakra that maybe because of your time travel, it made you feel exhausted. After that, I was entrusted to observe you,” Iruka then handed Sakusa the clipboard and the boy looked at it thoroughly the list of the symptoms Sakusa had felt while using a jutsu and when he was strictly on not using any jutsu.

“Your chakra recovery is normal but when you almost fainted again after you used transformation jutsu—which doesn’t require half of your chakra, you felt weak,”

“What does it mean?” Sakusa asked. He already felt a bad news coming his way.

Iruka sighed again, “We might think that your chakra flow is affected because you’re at our time,”

“So I shouldn’t be here?”

“Sakusa, you said that you accidentally stepped on an unknown scroll right?” Sakusa nodded at the sudden question of Kakashi, “I think what Iruka sensei might be trying to say is that as long as you’re here, your chakra is continuously used because it’s what keeps you here. Meaning, you’re using it unconsciously. And maybe because your chakra might still be connected to that scroll in your time,”

“Yes, that’s what I also thought as soon as I saw Sakusa did a katon. You looked like you’re having an asthma attack,” Iruka commented, taking the clipboard gently from Sakusa’s hand as he wrote down some more notes. “Also, before you fainted… you said mom,”

Iruka seemed to not have noticed both boys had frozen at his question, too focused on writing down valuable information. However, Sakusa face suddenly lit up, glancing up at the two adults before him.

“I felt mom,”

“What do you mean?”

“I—it was briefly. I felt her chakra,” Sakusa averted his gaze back to Kakashi, “And no, it’s _different_. It’s my mom…”

Silence covered the trio for a moment as Kakashi’s brain scrambled up some thoughts on what Sakusa had just said. It does sound weird to feel his mother’s, or the Female Iruka’s chakra all the sudden. It doesn’t make any sense. Does that mean they’re here? Or could Sakusa’s parents be investigating this situation in their universe? What could’ve triggered the boy—

“I suggest we eat first,” Iruka interrupted all of a sudden as he stood up and tucked in the blanket that was draped over the young Hatake. “You still need to rest and eat, Sakusa. Later on we’ll try to solve this but for now…”

“Can I have ramen?”

Kakashi looked at Sakusa tiredly. This boy, ramen was always coming out of his mouth. Was he like a second Naruto? Come to think of it, it seemed like Sakusa and the Naruto in their universe seemed close so maybe that’s another reason.

“Okay, let’s see what we can fix,” Iruka smiled and Sakusa’s pale face turned pinkish. 

~*~*~

In life, Iruka had been surprised in every possible way in his life, from kids accidentally throwing flying stars at him or Naruto doing the sexy jutsu every opportunity given, but only two memories of him being stunned stuck in his mind, one was of course, when the Sandaime took him for the first time at Ichiraku. That was his most favorite. It was like he was introduced to something so heavenly at the same time he felt like he mattered after when his parents were gone. Iruka felt new again.

The second time was when Naruto hugged him after the Mizuki incident. Iruka knew he wasn’t the best at first to Naruto but when he had understood Naruto’s situation, it surprised him on how much he realized that he was like the villagers when he was a kid. Naruto doesn’t deserve to be treated like that so he just did what the Sandaime also did for him. He had accepted the boy as Uzumaki Naruto and had taken care of him ever since. It felt like he had a family, a brother who he was needed, and also what he needed.

Iruka has always been grateful at those surprises he didn’t expect in his life to come.

The time reads seven in the evening, Sakusa can already stand and was resting on the living area watching TV. Kakashi was nowhere to be found, maybe he’s up in the roofs like what he usually does, or he’s in his room.

Iruka had promised earlier to Sakusa that he would see if he could fix ramen for lunch, unfortunately, he didn’t. However, he got hold of Ichiraku once he saw one of their workers walking by the manor. He had asked if they could deliver here and of course, they gladly said yes and minutes later, Iruka was looking at the takeaway ramen on the counter.

When he was done transferring the ramen into a clean bowl. He gladly put them in a tray and went to the living room only to be greeted by Sakusa looking at his reports and other paperwork he was doing.

“What are you looking at?” Iruka asked, walking up to the kotatsu table to place the tray. He turned around to look at the boy and saw how his face looked so fascinated looking at a scroll. Sakusa looked like Naruto when given a new bowl of ramen. It made Iruka chuckle as he took a step towards the young Hatake.

“Sakusa,”

“Look, this is so cool,”

It was as if he was trapped in a genjutsu , he couldn’t move, his eyes glued on the boy as he tried to process the thing he was seeing right now. Sakusa, the ever happy kid, was showing him a scroll, beaming with his eyes wrinkled at the side.

“I just touched this, at first I thought it’s blank but with little chakra,”

How could Iruka be so stupid? How could he not see it? Sakusa resembled—

“Sensei?” Sakusa, or whoever he was. Iruka doesn’t know anymore. He was utterly confused, he thought he was done with this curiosity about Sakusa’s identity but this—this was.

Iruka doesn’t want to be confused anymore and he feels like Kakashi and Sakusa were hiding something from him. He heard the boy calling out again but he can’t seem to speak out.

It started with the moment Kakashi and Tsunade asked him to partake in taking care of Sakusa. Honestly, he was confused because why was he chosen? Who was he to Kakashi? The jounin could pick someone more suitable and someone who’s close to him like Gai or Kurenai. The second one was the tea incident.

Who was Sakusa? Was he really from the future?

Who is his mother? Why

“How…” Iruka felt speechless. The scroll that Sakusa once held was already discarded on the coffee table, writings all gone.

A frown slowly appeared on Iruka’s face while taking a step backward. His action seemed to stun Sakusa because he gave him a scared look. Like a kid waiting for a scolding.

“Iruka sensei…”

“Who are you?”

“What?”

Iruka’s whole body trembled as his brain tried to come up with conclusions on how Sakusa had managed to make the writings on the scroll appear without him.

His scroll that contained his paperwork that was written in chakra infused ink. His own chakra. How did Sakusa—

“Hey, what’s happening?” Kakashi finally appeared, entering the living area wearing the standard shinobi clothing without the vest and hitai-ate. The jounin scanned the surroundings, taking note of the tense atmosphere the two had. He then averted his gaze to Sakusa, who was currently anting wildly. A mild panic attack.

“Sakusa?”

“You,” Iruka started as he slowly backed away from the two, he stumbled for a moment but quickly regained his balance, stopping Kakashi from wanting to help him.

“Iruka-sensei,” The kid was teary-eyed, fingers fidgeting the hem of his shirt as his eyes went back and forth to Kakashi then to Iruka. He was panicking, Kakashi thought. Cautiously, Kakashi walked to Sakusa to try and calm him down but then his eyes landed on the scrolls at the coffee table.

Those were Iruka’s scrolls.

“Tell me whatever you two are hiding from me, now,” There was a light venom laced in every word that escaped Iruka’s mouth. Kakashi could see his whole body trembling and he pretty much got an idea what Iruka was talking about.

Sakusa, on the other hand, was shaking badly that he needed to hold onto Kakashi’s sleeves. He let him.

“Iruka, calm down first,”

“No. no. This has been bothering me for a while. And what Sakusa has done was enough for me to take. Please, just…” The sensei released a tired sigh as he glanced up at the two. Two boys that made their way into his heart these past few days. He doesn’t want to be mad at them but he knew they were hiding something. A piece of valuable information and it's making him crazy.

“Who are you Sakusa?”

Sakusa sobbed softly, stream tears going down those pales cheeks and Iruka immediately felt guilty. He wanted to run up to him, comfort him but then Kakashi said something that made Iruka furthermore confused.

“Sakusa is from the future but technically not,”

“Kashi-san…”

“Before I tell you, I want to apologize first because I knew this would be a bad idea but it was protocol, I didn’t want you to be involved further and Tsunade—”

Iruka interrupted, raising a hand towards Kakashi, “Just tell me,”

Kakashi’s lips straightened underneath his mask. The situation he had dreaded was happening right now. He knew hiding Iruka the truth would not only hurt him, it would also hurt Sakusa. But Sakusa’s arrival was all sudden, he and Tsunade didn’t think straight through with this because all he knew, he needed Iruka’s help.

Kakashi felt foolish. He felt like he had thrown what Obito had said to him about leaving teammates behind. But now seeing what happened has been done, Iruka deserved everything that consists of the truth.

“Iruka…” He started but was cut off as Sakusa took a step forward. And even tear-stained cheeks, he stood up straight, “You’re my other parent, Iruka-sensei…”

Other parent.

Other—that means.

“What?”

“I- I am from the future but not from here. This might sound crazy but believe me, I didn’t believe it too but then, I—I think I live in another dimension or universe where—where you are my other parent. My mom.”

It wasn’t making any sense. Every information pouring out from Sakusa wasn’t clinging to Iruka’s brain at the moment. All the sensei could think about was that they lied. They lied.

Lied to him.

“Other parent? Dimension? Can you give me a good lie next time?”

“I’m not lying… Iruka sensei,” Sakusa hiccupped, not used to being scrutinized especially if it was by Iruka, “Please believe me when I say my parents are Kakashi Hatake and Iruka Umino,”

“So you’re a surrogate or something? Because if you were, how do you look so much like Kakashi but your chakra is very compatible with mine?” Iruka remarked with a scoff, his expression a complete opposite to the usual understanding sensei.

“Because I am your son! Yours and Kakashi. Born by blood because in my universe, my mom Iruka is a woman,”

“Sakusa, stop! Stop saying nonsense,” Iruka yelled, almost regretting it right away when the boy flinched.

Sakusa wiped away the tears on his cheeks as he exhaled, “In my dimension, you’re my mom, as in a mom woman—mom,” The kid’s voice was softer now, a hint of vulnerability Iruka knew too much. “Please believe me. It’s crazy and I’m so scared right now, please…”

“Iruka,” The chunin then turned to look at Kakashi, the same nonchalant expression on his covered face. Except his Sharingan was open. It spun slowly and Iruka can’t help but be mesmerized by how the—

He was suddenly at the back porch of the Hatake compound, the night sky from before was now bright, the sun covered by the clouds. Iruka saw Kakashi and Sakusa by the swing area near the tree, they were talking about some stuff but he can’t really hear much.

However, what surprised him wasn’t their conversation, it was when Sakusa made some hand sign before transforming into a woman that—that looked a lot like him.

Same scar where he has his, her cheeks rounder, same brown hair but the hers was longer and styled into a bun, and those eyes. That’s where Sakusa got it from. It’s her. Sakusa’s mother.

He was Sakusa’s…

The Kakashi that was staring at Sakusa’s transformation jutsu looked at him, he jumped a little but then calmed down as he spoke, “He showed me what you looked like in his dimension,”

Genjutsu. He knew he was trapped in it. He knew Kakashi did this so he could calm himself down. And it did, somehow. Iruka raised his hand, wanting to break the illusion but he seemed stuck.

Kakashi’s genjutsu was stronger than he had thought.

“Iruka,” The chunin averted his gaze up and the scenery had changed. He was in the kitchen, Kakashi and Sakusa by the dining area, both men looked so happy it somehow made him feel jealousy because he too wanted to be with them smiling.

_“May I ask something?”_

It was Sakusa. He was stirring his bowl lightly, eyes down at his food while Kakashi watched him. _“Go ahead,_ ” Kakashi replied. It seemed like he was done eating but he had stayed just to accompany the boy. Iruka can’t remember when did this happened but maybe it was yesterday? Or the day before the katon accident.

_“Does a Mizuki exists here also?”_

Iruka’s eyed widen at the question. Iruka wanted to stop Kakashi for answering him, afraid to tell about his mistake and what evil deed his supposedly friend did but then; _“Because my mom was… ya know, she also got,”_

_”I get you and yes he exists. Existed.”_

The Mizuki incident was only to known to certain people, two of his chunin friends, the Sandaime, Anko, and somehow, Kakashi. Iruka had suspected that it was courtesy of Naruto but he didn’t mind. However, now hearing it coming from Sakusa, a complete stranger that looked too young to know about that incident had Iruka taken aback.

_“Oh, so he and Naruto-jisan here are also super close?”_

_“Yeah, Naruto looks up to Iruka,”_

_“Nice! Same as ours! Ya’ know when I was a kid, Naruto-jisan always makes me cry. He will call my mom ‘Iruka-haha’ while saying he’s the only child of mama and I would get mad,”_

Iruka-haha…

Iruka looked down at his hand but then his vision got blurry as tears welled up before landing down on his palm softly. Maybe it was the memory of Mizuki and Naruto almost dying, or maybe because… because everything still doesn’t make any sense except the fact that he was Sakusa’s other parent.

“Iruka-sensei,” The surroundings had changed, it was now all grey and Kakashi was standing before him. Iruka sniffed, wiping away the tears falling down as Kakashi took hold of his shoulder. “I can’t hold on for longer but after this, listen to him. I did and I understood him,”

This was the living room again, the TV was one with a show Iruka couldn’t care less. He touched his face, it was wet. Iruka suddenly looked down when Sakusa’s panicked voice echoed and saw Kakashi on his knees with his left hand pressed against his eye with the Sharingan.

“Kashi-san…”

“I’m okay, just tired,” Kakashi gave the boy a reassuring smile before looking up at Iruka.

Kakashi smiled and that then Iruka's eye rolled back before fainting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some peeps might appear next chapter???????????  
> or Iruka and Sakusa bonding time :D
> 
> <3


	8. VIII.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Healing takes time.  
> More truths were revealed.  
> And in order to heal, you need to share your pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2k hits!!! I love you all so so much, you all amaze me. Thank you for still wanting to read this wild ride story of mine.  
> Also, yey! Chapters increased.  
> I update very late because of my Japanese classes so I apologize!!
> 
> Anyway, enjoy <3  
> this chapter is dedicated to [racven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/racven/pseuds/racven) <3  
> they are very awesome and go check them out and their arts from this story!  
> (i promise after this, i will link all your arts related to this work ;A; thank u, lots of love for u bby)

_You're my all and more_   
_But I need room to breathe, yeah_   
  


Glancing around the spacy room, it was the very first-time Sakusa noticed that the clock in the living room was the same one they had back in his world. He had also noticed how the quietness of the house was slowly destroying him.

There were three things Sakusa disliked, one was D-rank missions, but maybe that was when he was a genin, now that he was a chunin, he barely got any D-rank missions. Second were cats. He wasn’t really a cat person, to begin with, perhaps it further it more when they tried to rescue a cat from a tree and he can’t stop sneezing. That’s where he knew he was allergic to them.

The third was this. His parents not talking to each other. Technically, the Kakashi and Iruka that’s with him right now weren’t his parents but they still were, just in different dimensions. His parents rarely fight (or he may just not know) but whenever they fight, it was a hard battle for he doesn’t know who to side with.

The hardest one was when he’s the one against one of them.

Sakusa remembered pre-genin him skipped one Academy class because he was bored with learning the history of shinobi. His mother had already told him the very basic so he didn’t find any more reason why he should hear it again. Everything was going good until his mother caught him and needless to say, his father was the one who took him at the academy for a week.

Now, sitting alone in the living room where the three of them usually hang out felt big and empty. The Hatake Manor has always been big but never once Sakusa felt empty even though it’s was only the three of them.

He sighed tiredly, eyes landing on the forgotten ramen on the kotatsu.

Iruka-sensei had been brought up to his room by Kakashi. He had fainted after what he had assumed was under a genjutsu. Not really knowledgeable regarding his own father’s sharigan, being it the first time he saw it, so he was amazed at the same time scared.

Currently, Kakashi wasn’t here. Maybe he’s going to stay with Iruka.

Yeah. Iruka-sensei needed Kashi-san more than him right now.

With dejected movements, he stood up and walked towards the kotatsu and ate the cold ramen with blurry vision.

He had failed.

Both this universe and his.

-

Kakashi was seated by the desk near the bed where all of Iruka’s stuff were piled neatly at the side, giving him space to rest his head on. His neck was turned to the side as his eyes were glued on Iruka’s sleeping, peaceful form.

It has been thirty minutes since Kakashi had brought up Iruka to his room, felt a little guilty for using his sharingan on him but he can’t help it. Iruka needed to calm down and he doesn’t want Sakusa to bear Iruka’s confused anger.

Kakashi was so sorry for the situation Iruka got stuck in. He knew the decision of hiding the truth from Iruka would backfire badly but they can’t do anything. Him and Tsunade were pressured at that time and the thing Tsunade should know was that when it comes to these things, like surprise family member, Kakashi won’t be a big help in thinking up solutions.

Sakusa’s arrival was sensitive information and if it spread out—Kakashi closed his eyes as he released a tired sigh.

No reason can be valid on why he didn’t tell the truth. He lied. That’s it. It’s his fault, and Iruka—Iruka doesn’t deserve any of this. Sakusa doesn’t deserve to be this hurt.

He had failed them.

Both Iruka and Sakusa.

~*~

Kakashi’s lashes slowly fluttered up, eyes adjusting to the light that came from the small lamp on the nightstand. He must’ve fallen asleep because his neck was stiff and his back kind of hurts. With slow movements and quiet grunt, he sat up straight while adjusting his mask.

What time was is anyway? It was still dark outside.

Kakashi was about to stretch out his arms when he caught Iruka’s form from the corner of his eyes. He averted his gaze and saw the chunin-sensei seated on the bed with a solemn look, lifeless eyes stared at the sheets with his fist clenched.

Kakashi could sense the anger and the disappointment. 

“Iruka, you’re awake,” Kakashi tried to speak with a cheerful voice but got nothing in response from the sensei. Kakashi pouted under his mask. Truth to be told, he sucked at this. Comforting someone and of course, apologizing. Should he start with the apology? Or reason out first? Man, this was even harder than facing enemies. He knew he can’t escape this and he knew Iruka would be more mad if he flickered himself away.

Just, somebody tell him what to do. Hell, he can’t even handle Naruto and Sasuke well, that’s why the young Uchiha managed to go on his own.

“I felt cheated,” Iruka’s voice startled the jounin. He looked over the bed and Iruka was still in the same position but he had his eyes down and hands that clutched the sheets were shaking. It wounded Kakashi to know he was responsible for all of Iruka’s pain.

“I felt robbed,” Iruka continued as a tear fell from his eyes to the sheet. Kakashi could only stare, one eye closed for he doesn’t want to record Iruka’s broken state. Iruka’s rough voice alone was enough for Kakashi’s heart to break into many pieces.

“Iruka…” He called out, his voice sounding so soft and apologetic. Kakashi’s guilt was slowly eating him up, his regrets punching him at the face. And when Iruka looked up to glance at him with tears falling freely down those cheeks, every drop was like a knife slicing through his skin and bones, Kakashi felt helpless.

Kakashi opened his mouth but stopped when the sensei continued with a trembling voice, “Did you even think of what I would feel? These past few days I had trusted everything coming out from you and Tsunade-sama,”

“Iruka,”

“When were you planning to tell me?!” Iruka’s voice was an octave higher, lips quivering and whole body shaking as his hard glare never left the jounin. “Scratch that, were you even planning to?!”

Kakashi could only look down. He tried to avoid those doe brown eyes that had looked at him with full of care, but now it’s full of anger. Admittedly, he did thought of telling Iruka the truth but somehow, he was comfortable of what was happening, he got too happy, he got too used with them that he forgot nothing was right.

“Kakashi you lied to me. You hid something so important to me and I feel like—like I don’t deserve Sakusa,”

“It’s not—”

“Then what?! What benefits you from not telling me?” Iruka hiccupped, one hand coming up to wipe away the tears that were blurring his vision. It hurts so much he felt like vomiting. “All this time I felt like a fool,”

“Iruka…”

“Kakashi don’t look down, look at me!”

Kakashi did but instantly regretted once he saw Iruka’s puffy eyes pouring down big fat tears.

“Do you hate me? Or—were you disgusted with the idea of you and me?” There, Iruka had said it. Yes, Kakashi lied and that pains him, but what hurts more was the thought of Kakashi not telling him because he can’t accept the fact that in another world, they were a couple and had a very beautiful son- everything Iruka thought was perfect might not be what Kakashi wanted.

Kakashi, who seemed to be in the process of digesting every word Iruka had said, was still looking elsewhere but him. Iruka scoffed, droplets of tears landed on the sheets below as Iruka looked down again. He doesn’t know if he could look at Kakashi anymore, now that his theory was correct.

Who was he anyway? He’s just a chunin, a friend to Kakashi. He’s a male! Of course it was only reasonable for Kakashi to hide him because that’s just weird huh? Konoha’s top jounin ending up with a chunin sensei. Nothing but just chunin who teaches kids to be killers in the future.

“Sakusa wanted you to know,” Finally, fucking finally the jounin spoke, his voice sounded so broken and at this point, Iruka can’t comprehend what to believe anymore. “But Tsunade and I decided not to because—”

“Because the thought of me being with you makes you sick?!”

“No! Can you please, please not assume things yet and let me finish,”

“What’s the point?!” Iruka was shouting at this point. He was looking at the jounin again, eyes desperate as new set of fresh tears poured down those doe eyes Kakashi loved to look at. “You made a fool out of me! I have a right! And alternative universe or not, Sakusa is my right! I am his—his parent.”

“I was scared, okay?” Kakashi’s voice was calm but louder this time. Iruka paused, eyes wide as he stared at the jounin.

“I was scared that’s why we decided to- to not let you know. Imagine sensei, a kid just suddenly appeared claiming to be my son and then saying you were his mom. I was anxious, I was—it was wrong, I apologize for that but—” Kakashi stilled when he felt his eyes pouring down with tears.

Tears of frustration, of guilt and regret. All of it came pouring down his eyes as he tried to scramble up words in his mind. He had already fucked things up, he doesn’t want to add gasoline to this fire anymore. Kakashi was just thankful that Iruka was listening now.

“I was so frightened I can’t imagine what you would feel… you know what I felt when Sakusa appeared? I want to disappear, I want to claim that this was a big joke,” Kakashi sniffed, one hand coming up to press against his left eye as he felt his Sharingan hurting. Kakashi was crying but his left eye was like a faucet of uncontrollable tears, going down like a waterfall Kakashi can’t stop.

“And the thought of me wanting to leave him made me think, if you knew the truth of you being a woman in another world, and having an offspring with me, you might—you might leave him also and I guess it bit back.” Kakashi was now staring at those teary brown orbs. “I misjudged some stuff but believe me when I say I wanted you to know. That Sakusa is _our_ son in another world… I- I became a coward because I didn’t want you to leave me alone with this.”

Iruka had his head down again. There were still some small whimpers but Kakashi can tell that he had calmed down. A pregnant silent covered the two adults, no one was glancing at each other, and both were drowning too much in their own thoughts.

But Kakashi decided to speak up. Might as well tell Iruka all that he knew in the midst of the quietness.

“Iruka, I’m so sorry. Be mad at me all you want, hit me, or set me in any traps you have but please don’t ignore Sakusa. Don’t be mad at him. The kid longs for you and—”

“And who do you think is at fault that the kid is longing for me?”

Kakashi nodded, accepting the attitude of the other. He quickly wiped away his tears, one hand still pressed against his left eye.

“I’m sorry, Iruka…” Kakashi slowly stood up, cursing internally once he felt his knees shaking. As much as he wanted to stay with Iruka, to hold him—he can’t. Iruka needed time and Kakashi’s presence might not help at all. He walked up to the door, it felt like torture. It felt like it might be the last time he would be able to look at Iruka up close.

But Kakashi just thought, he deserved this.

With trembling hand, he grasped the doorknob a little too tight.

“I don’t hate you. You were important to me even before Sakusa came in the picture,”

-

Time sure was slow when no one was talking with one another. After the mishap from yesterday night, Sakusa had stayed up, unable to sleep, unable to swallow the guilt that was running in his veins. After he was done moping around the living room and eating the cold, cold, ramen. He cleaned up before going up his room.

But stopped when he heard Kakashi and Iruka talking in a rather very loud voice.

_“Imagine sensei, a kid just suddenly appeared claiming to be my son and then saying you were his mom. I was anxious, I was—”_

Sakusa closed his eyes when Kakashi’s exact words repeated in his mind.

_“I was so scared I can’t imagine what you would feel… you know what I felt when Sakusa appeared?”_

After that, Sakusa had left already, not wanting to hear the rest. He had quietly ran up to his room and made a barrier that canceled out noises from outside his room. Hearing your parents’ alternative selves fighting was draining. And the quietness was deafening that’s why he can’t fall asleep.

This morning, he met Kakashi, who looked like he just went on a three-day mission. He had gently offered him a simple breakfast. Toast and eggs. He ate in a fast pace and spent the whole morning coped up in his barricaded room.

It was three in the afternoon when Sakusa finally left his room. While he walked through the hallway, he can’t seem to detect both adults but when he arrived at the kitchen, he saw a covered plate in the middle of the table, which he assumed might be his lunch.

But what surprised him was when he saw Bull sleeping at the engawa but Kakashi wasn’t there.

He ate his lunch, didn’t bother to heat it up, and that’s where he was now. At the yard, seated on the soft grass with Bull around him as a makeshift backrest. The ninken was awake but Sakusa remained idle until the clouds above turned a dark shade of blue that mixed with the orange hue from the setting sun.

“Bull,” Sakusa said softly while the wind blew softly as his silver locks danced along. Undeniably, there’s nothing really to watch at the backyard. Just a big fence that separated him from the world he’s not allowed to be in. But he just stared as his hand lazily caressed the ninken’s fur.

“I wish Naruto-jisan was here. He always knew what to do in these certain situations. Especially Sakura-basan, she would tell me what to do and say,” Of course he received no reply from the ninken but Sakusa was just thankful the big dog wasn’t falling asleep on him, plus, having a ninken with him was somehow comforting, it gave him a feeling of like he’s back home.

“I also wished I should’ve taken the scroll cleaning seriously,” It came out as a whisper as the image of his parents appeared. He could imagine his mother’s angry face, fist balled up and ready to hit his head and then cradle him afterward, his father would just stand there silently and maybe give him a few hard glances but he knew he would be engulfed in a hug soon.

Sakusa pouted and proceeded to rest his head on Bull’s back. “I am happy to be here though but—”

Sakusa’s hand came up to wipe the unwelcomed tears on his eyes violently, “I think I just caused a lot of chaos here.”

Bull released a breath, probably agreed with everything he just said. Tears continued to fall from his eyes but this time, the young Hatake didn’t bother to wipe it away. “I caused Iruka-sensei so much pain, Bull…” The young Hatake was still whispering, pressed himself closer to the ninken to seek warmth in the cold early evening.

When Sakusa thought back at the moment where Iruka cried because they’ve lied to him, it pained him. Never once in his life that he had made his mother cry. Female or not, it’s still technically his mother. Iruka Umino.

“I only cause them pain at this point,”

Surprisingly, one big paw of Bull moved only to nudge the young shinobi not so gently. Sakusa groaned as he was thrown forward at the impact, a pout was printed on his face. “Bull!” Bull didn’t budge and the silver-haired teen just accepted defeat as he remained down on the grass whereas Bull’s paw was above him. It was a comedic situation if you look at it, except Sakusa was gently crying.

The last time he cried was when he wasn’t a genin yet. But now, fourteen years old chunin Sakusa Hatake was weeping with Bull’s paw on top of him. Kind of pathetic.

“Maybe…” Sakusa sniffed, moving closer to Bull’s warmth. “Maybe if I didn’t accidentally appeared here, everything would be nice.” Bull released a soft bark. It was rare for Bull to bark softly, mostly his barks were loud and eerie to the ears but—Sakusa smiled, sniffing while he wipe away his tears.

“Good thing I don’t exist here, huh?”

Kakashi closed his eyes, head up towards the darkening sky as he listened to Sakusa’s soft voice urging Bull to move his paws off of him. He was seated at the roof, had watched and listened to everything the young shinobi said.

It saddens him. But right now, he can’t do anything but to let Iruka calm down and hope for the best. He doesn’t know where this thing would lead to but- Kakashi opened his eyes as Iruka’s chakra, who was also standing by the doorway to the back porch all this time, completely hidden from Sakusa, left.

Kakashi sighed and proceeded to rest his back flat on the roof. It’s been a tiring day, full of quietness and coldness. Kakashi hoped this would end soon. 

-

Sakusa’s eyes shot open when he heard a twig snap from somewhere. He quickly sat up, glad that Bull’s paw wasn’t on top of him but the movement quickly backfired when he felt a little dizzy after. As he pressed his hand against his head, he glanced around until his blurry vision landed on a familiar silhouette.

“Hey, did I startle you?”

“Iruka-sensei!” Sakusa said in his still sleep-induced brain, still not grasping the reason why Iruka was approaching him, talking to him. Iruka-sensei’s voice was cold, yes, but why was Iruka-sensei here? Wasn’t he mad at him? Sakusa was about to open his mouth when he felt something on his back and a hand on his arm that urged him up his feet.

Sakusa willingly stood up, legs shaking as he found out the thing wrapped around him was a blanket. “Iruka-sensei…”

“Let’s get you warmed up in the living room,” The tone of Iruka’s voice was something Sakusa can’t determine. It wasn’t angry, it wasn’t caring either. Just a neutral voice of the teacher.

Sakusa pouted and thought that, yeah, he could probably work with that. It’s better than receiving a cold shoulder from the sensei.

Once they reached the living room, with Iruka still holding on his arm, the sensei guided him to sit down next to the kotatsu. Wordlessly, the sensei left him alone with quiet steps and Sakusa just resorted to staring at the scrolls on the table.

Tears started to prickle in his eyes. This treatment he was getting, he doesn’t like it one bit. He would rather be ignored than treated so nicely by the person they lied to. However, Sakusa’s hands immediately came up and slapped his own cheeks. The teenager huffed out as he decided that he should be a man and apologize to Iruka.

Yes, like what dad said. If you’re the one at fault, let down your pride and apologize.

He would definitely apologize but how should he start? Should he say a few words first or straight to the apology? Man, he had never been this nervous. The last time he was nervous was when he asked his mom if he could have her approval participating for the chunin exams.

His father told him how his mother reacted when he nominated team 7 before, he just made sure to let his mom knew first before anything.

“Here,” Iruka’s voice made Sakusa jump again. The young kid glanced up, brown orbs meeting auburn ones.

Iruka stared down at those eyes. How could he not see that they’re the same as his?

The sensei took a seat beside Sakusa as he puts down a plate with two rolls of yakisoba bread.

Sakusa bowed his head, proceeded to stare at the table for he was unable to maintain eye contact with the sensei.

The air around them was a little tense but Sakusa could no longer feel any anger from him. Instead, it’s the caring aura again. Calm. Warm.

A few seconds passed by and none of them moved. The smell of the delicious bread punched Sakusa on the nose, but he was still too sad to even think about eating. At this point, Sakusa can’t think of anything he deserves. Was he worthy to eat those delicious bread? Was he even worthy of Iruka’s caring presence?

“Sakusa,” The boy quickly glanced up and saw Iruka holding out his pen dripping with invisible ink. Sakusa gulped, he was wondering why Iruka was offering him the item that caused all of them to be hurt. And just by remembering it, Sakusa felt stupid for his reckless action. He should’ve not touched that forbidden pen.

Still avoiding eye contact, the young chunin took the pen as Iruka unraveled a blank scroll in front of him.

What was Iruka-sensei’s plan? Why was he making him write?

“Infuse your chakra on the pen, Sakusa…”

“Sensei—I,”

“Please,” Finally looking up at his other parent’s face, Sakusa wanted to cry out there and then. Iruka had a soft smile on his face, eyes encouraging to follow him and Sakusa just did. He always did. He would always follow.

The kid lets out a breath before he closed his eyes, his face contorted into full concentration as he infused a little bit of his chakra on the pen, just enough to not make him faint and all.

Sakusa then wrote something on the paper with pure concentration. It was kind of hard to write something he wasn’t able to see but he had managed. When done, he handed the pen back to Iruka, who took it and put it away along with the piles of scrolls on the side.

Sluggishly, Sakusa raised his hand and puts his palm on the paper.   
  


_I’m sorry, Iruka-sensei_

  
It appeared before his eyes, amazement, and nervousness was running through his veins. Sakusa was aware that Iruka was able to read it. A written apology seemed to be a weak move but Sakusa did plan to tell him personally. After this, he would but the silence from Iruka was like a lifeline. The more the sensei remained silent, the more Sakusa wanted to flicker away.

The young Hatake was kind of disappointed so he just retracted his hand away, the writing disappearing immediately.

Sakusa released a sigh, eyes still on the scroll as he waited for Iruka. Anything, just anything from him would make Sakusa happy. He hated this silence, it was like that one time when he scared his Mirai-senpai and she didn’t talk to him for days. But of course, this was much worse and Sakusa felt like vomiting in nervousness. 

Finally, Iruka moved. Sakusa turned to look at the sensei and saw his eyes locked on him before glancing down at the blank paper where his apology was inscribed. Slowly, Iruka puts his hand on the scroll and after a second, the writing appeared again. Sakusa’s neat penmanship almost glowed faintly.   
  
_I’m sorry, Iruka-sensei_  
  
Sakusa kept his lips pursed, eyes glued on his writing. This was the thing that caused all of this trouble and if this was how Iruka was going to reprimand him, it was kind of unique but it would hurt. Sakusa got himself ready for any angry words or some lecturing but what he didn’t expect was a hand on his head, ruffling his silver locks lightly.

“Iruka-sensei…”

“My son, huh…”

Iruka pulled the astounded boy towards him until their heads bumped lightly. “You’re really a part of me…”

“Mama…” It was strange, calling out a clearly male version of his mother as mama, but Sakusa can’t help it. He leaned forward while tears started pool his eyes.

He was really expecting Iruka to push him away but he didn’t. It was like a kunai was pulled off of his chest.

The soft chuckle from Iruka made Sakusa burry his head on his chest. He was part embarrass because he just called him ‘mama’, and also because he was crying again.

He missed his mom so much. And the whole week he was here, he can’t hug his mother’s alternative self, he can’t help him with his paperwork, he can’t tell him random stories, and he can’t tell him the truth. But now everything was out. Sakusa was just glad that the male Iruka right now had somehow accepted him.

Iruka smelled like his mother but the scent of tea and forest were more present than his mother’s usual flowery tea scent.

Iruka’s warm hands on his head were gently carding through his hair, his hunger slowly vanished as he melted in Iruka’s arms. The past few days were hard on him, mentally and physically, however, one hug from him washed it all away.

“You still need to eat, Sakusa…”

“Saku-chan. You always love to me call me Saku-chan,”

Iruka laughed, pulling away a little so he could see those familiar brown eyes again.

Those brown orbs he kept wondering who he got it from. Those eyes that he found so lovely. Those eyes that melted his heart.

It was his. How could he not notice?

Sakusa had his eyes.

Iruka surprisingly puts his hand over Sakusa’s forehead before pushing up those wild locks that resulted with Sakusa’s face to be fully exposed just for him to look at.

And Iruka stared unabashedly. His eyes raked over those round eyes that had small freckles of gold on them, it was like Sakusa’s eyes were made of galaxies. How Sakusa’s beauty mark was dark and just at the right place beside his right eye, how his cheeks were slim but his baby fats can still be seen. His lips were thin but it just added to Sakusa’s great looks.

“Iruka-sensei?”

“Ruka-san,”

The boy’s eyes widen, cheeks instantly went red before nodding cutely at Iruka.

“Ruka-san, thank you,”

“For what?”

“For accepting me,”

-

Kakashi turned off the TV before glancing down at Iruka and Sakusa. It was already past midnight and the two had been stuck with each other all night. Kakashi doesn’t want to interrupt no matter how much he wanted to join them, he just thought that Iruka deserved this alone time with Sakusa.

He was at the front yard with Pakkun through the whole night, listened to every laughter and conversation of the two had. It warmed his heart to know that Iruka had accepted the boy.

As long as Sakusa was accepted, Kakashi could live with Iruka not talking to him.

He released a silent sigh as he took in the image of Iruka rested on the couch with Sakusa on his side. The young Hatake had his head on the sensei’s shoulder whereas Iruka’s cheeks were pressed on top of his head.

Kakashi opened his left eye, sharingan whirled lightly to soak in the view before him. He kind of felt pathetic doing this, using the sharingan. But he can’t help, he thought that he might not be able to see this again. He might not be able to see Iruka so happy again.

Grabbing for the abandoned blanket on the floor, he dusted it off lightly before placing it over the two.

~*~

Sakusa stretched, a big yawn escaped his lips as he felt every bone on his back crack. Falling asleep on the couch was a pain in the ass, Sakusa swore he won’t do it again but recalling what happened last night, he can’t help but smile.

Iruka, or Ruka-san, had silently listened to him as he told some facts about himself. They even compared some happenings on his universe to this universe, of course, Sakusa had avoided mentioning some people from his time because it might be different from this future.

It had been a wonderful night. They also talked about the truth. Iruka knew a lot but Sakusa told him how and what he felt during his stay here hiding the truth from him.

Sakusa had apologized again and he was glad as he got a very contagious smile from Ruka-san.

His favorite part was when Iruka cupped his cheeks after his apology and said to him words that made his heart all jumpy and happy.   
  


_“I’m so glad I got to meet you,”_

_“Ruka-san…”_

_“Through the days I’ve spent with you, you didn’t cause us pain. You didn’t cause me pain,” Iruka gently tapped a finger on his nose. “I’m very happy to know you,”_   
  


Sakusa smiled. If he had his own sharingan, he would record every bit of it. Also, if his memory was right, they talked about Iruka’s alternative self. His mom. They had the same fate, parents killed after the Kyuubi attack, became a chunin for some years, and realized that teaching was their passion. Sakusa was also surprised to learn that Ruka-san was a prankster back then and he wondered if his mother was the same.

He just can’t imagine that his prim and proper mom would cause so much havoc as a child! That would be an interesting topic if he comes back to his dimension.

_If._

As he brisk walked towards the kitchen, he paused once he spotted Kakashi setting up the table with, what a surprise, a plate full of omurice. Sakusa’s mouth watered at the sight, it looked so cheesy and delicious. Just like how his dad would make. Extra cheesy and then they would get a lecture from his mom about health, then his dad would retort back with unhealthy facts about ramen.

“Eat up,”

“Kashi-san…”

That’s right. He and Kakashi haven’t talked yet about the incident. He didn’t get to apologize for accidentally revealing the truth to Iruka. Sakusa wanted to apologize but before he could say anything more, Iruka entered the dining area, looking all fresh and showered.

It was awkward, to say the least, but Kakashi ushered them to take a seat. Sakusa sat in front of Iruka before looking up at Kakashi.

He was quite hard to read considering he wore his mask and hitai-ate.

“Kashi-san… thank you for the meal,”

Kakashi looked at Sakusa for a moment and the landed his eyes on Iruka, who seemed to be too engrossed in putting food on Sakusa’s plate.

Sakusa had concluded that Iruka and Kakashi aren’t in good terms yet, seeing as how hesitant Kakashi was in joining them. They were already seated except for the jounin and it made him pout to think it’s all because of him that they’re not okay.

_If only he didn’t arrive here._

“I’ll just do some stuff first, you two go ahead,” When Kakashi was about to leave with a wave, Iruka raised his hand, grabbing Kakashi by the wrist. Iruka wasn’t looking at him but his grip seemed to hold down the jounin from flickering away.

“Iruka sensei…”

“Stay,” Iruka said before letting go and continued to assist Sakusa, who was also surprised at the cold affection.

Kakashi stood for a while before finally taking a seat beside Iruka, and was once again taken aback because Iruka gave him a handful serving of his food and urged him to eat.

-

Breakfast went quicker than anticipated. The awkward air still surrounded them throughout, everyone was quiet and had something in their minds, but at least Iruka could some make sure that Kakashi would eat. He may be mad at what they did but he still cared for him.

Kakashi was still that stupid jounin Iruka liked.

He left the manor after breakfast. Sakusa had these eyes that begged for him when he was about to leave and it took a lot of courage to say to the teenager—his son—that he would be back. When that beautiful smile appeared on Sakusa’s face, Iruka almost wanted to stay, but he just ruffled those silver locks and left.

Before walking away, he put up extra wards outside the manor, just to be certain. Iruka also made sure to scan his surroundings first before walking away.

His journey towards the Hokage Tower was fortunately uneventful, he didn’t detect any foreign chakras that were following him and he made sure to use pathways that were crowded. As soon as he arrived in front of the door, he gave a slight nod to the ANBU present and entered with the image of Tsunade in her usual position. Seated at the desk and surrounded by a bunch of papers.

Iruka bowed a complete 90 degree, he felt his anger rising up within him like bile. He needed to calm down. He knew he was still conflicted with the lies but it won’t do him good to explode with ANBUs and Shizune still inside, “Good morning, Hokage-sama. Shizune-san,”

“Iruka! Ah yes, Shizune if you may,” When Shizune left and the ANBUs were excused, Iruka sauntered over, two scrolls in his hands before handing them to the Hokage. With shaky hands, he cast a small jutsu so that Tsunade would be able to read its contents.

Iruka bit his tongue, controlling himself for an outburst. He knew he had the worst temper in Konoha, next to Tsunade, but he can’t just help it. The bitter feeling from before slowly crawled up his throat causing his eyes to get a little teary.

Just by watching Tsunade, how calm she was amidst of her lies to him. It angered him because—

“So is the kid okay?” Iruka jumped a little at Tsunade’s voice, his feelings subsided as he quickly composed himself with a nod, “Y-yes. He’s recovering right now but—” Iruka moved forward, a shaky finger pointed at the scroll where a piece of information regarding Sakusa’s continuous chakra depletion was printed.

“I know we will test him soon with the new transportation seal we’ve been working on but I’m scared Sakusa might hurt himself with the first trial,”

Tsunade just hummed as Iruka continued, “May I suggest, Hokage-sama, that maybe a few more days would be given for his recovery. As I said, he’s still unstable and I wanted to double-check more on the scroll we made, it might be perfect now but it might not be with this newfound information,”

Iruka cleared his throat, fidgeted a little under Tsunade’s hard gaze. “I-I know we need to solve this soon but I am just worried about his health,”

“Sensei,”

“Yes?”

Tsunade’s lips were formed in a straight line as she closed the scroll and puts it aside. The silence was unbearable and Iruka wanted to leave right now but Tsunade’s voice echoed through the room again. “Okay, I will allow more days for his recovery even though the sparring accident happened two days ago, and I will let you check the scroll again,” Iruka’s breath hitched when his eyes met Tsunade’s.

“And I also hope you’re not doing this to keep him here for a few more days,”

Iruka raised a brow, offended by the words of the Hokage. He was about to counter a reason when the Hokage said something so hurtful that Iruka didn’t know she was capable of.

“He’s not your son,” Iruka was stunned for a moment, eyes wide and mouth agape. He thought Tsunade was waiting for him to talk but then she continued, “So I hope you won’t keep him here longer,”

Iruka was sure his nails would leave marks on his palm at how hard he was keeping himself composed. The harshness of the Godaime’s words sliced through Iruka’s heart. It made him more frustrated at how cruel she could be. Iruka proceeded to look down as his eyes betrayed him. Tears. Tears he had kept these past few weeks went down. He thought he was done crying but then again, he still can’t get over the fact that Kakashi and Tsunade had kept Sakusa a secret.

“I’m assuming that something might’ve happened for you to know the truth. And now you know who he is. You know who his real parents are,”

“Why Tsunade-sama?” Iruka started, wanted the Hokage to shut up so badly. “You—you lied to me. I have helped you. I have trusted you and you chose to hide him from me?!” His voice was higher than normal. It was like all the self-control Iruka had has left the window, all his frustrations came pouring out because he trusted them. He obliged himself to help them only to be treated like crap. 

“Sakusa’s identity is valuable information! A human! Someone related and you hid him away from me!” It was uncontrollable, how his voice was higher, his lips trembled with anger and pain, and his tears like a stream from a broken faucet.

“Do you know what I felt? I felt so dumb. I felt useless. Like I was given a mission without a clear goal. And mind I tell you, Sakusa is not just a mission to be kept hidden. He’s a human, a child.” Iruka panted harshly, puffed up red eyes stared at Tsunade’s—as if all the answers were with her. As if she could take away all the doubts he had felt against himself.

“Excuse me, Tsunade-sama but what you have done, you have no fucking rights to ‘slap’ me with truths because, at this point, I don’t know if I should believe you,”

“Iruka…”

“Did I not deserve to know him?!” The chunin knees hit the ground with a loud thud, shaky hands came up to cover his face as he lets out a sob he had been holding back since he entered the tower. It still pained him, all those wasted days.

Maybe it’s because he had been alone all his life and just knowing, somewhere, he had someone connected to him. Someone connecting him to the person he has feelings for exists.

“Iruka,” He didn’t notice that Tsunade had moved and was already beside him until he felt her arm around his shoulder. Her warmth was somehow comforting and made him calm. Iruka was still mad but he would listen to her like how he had listened to Kakashi.

It was hard but he’ll do it.

“I deeply apologize, Iruka-sensei,” Tsunade spoke out, voice quieter than the usual loud and strong one she had.

“I was the one who told Kakashi and Sakusa to hide it from you,”

Iruka looked up, stunned at the information given to him but the expression the Godaime gave off was hard to read. “Kakashi was completely shocked that day he arrived. And when that young boy told us that his mother was you— a female. We didn’t know how to react and I didn’t know how you would react to that information. That day, when you met Sakusa, I told them to hide it from you but then as days went by I noticed how willing you were to help Kakashi, how you somehow got close to him,”

“Then you—”

“I called for Kakashi after two days of Sakusa’s arrival. He said you had instantly clicked it off with the kid and he demanded to tell you everything. Even from the start, Kakashi wanted to tell you but I didn’t allow him,”

“Tsunade-sama…” Iruka wanted to interrupt, the information given to him was too much.

Kakashi wanted to tell him? He didn’t plan this?

But why did Tsunade—

“Ever since Naruto had left with Jiraiya, your friends, Kotetsu and Izumo, had noticed how you longed for the boy. You’re too kind, considerate, and I was afraid you might get too attached and would yearn for the kid when he goes back to his own home. It wasn’t the wisest decision considering how you are right now,”

Iruka breathed in deeply while Tsunade stood up. So many things were running in Iruka’s mind. All those things that were said to him were kind of hard to swallow, moreover, he was frightened that Tsunade was partly correct.

Losing your parents unexpectedly at a young age and was forced to grow up in a heartless orphan was traumatizing, but in some way, he found solace when he got to take care of Naruto like his own little brother. And then Sakusa came like a beacon to Iruka’s lonely world.

Iruka envied his _other self_. She got to have Sakusa as a wonderful child.

“Sensei,” Tsunade called out and Iruka was forced to look up. Tsunade offered up her hand as Iruka took a moment before grasping it. “Iruka-sensei, I don’t expect you to forgive me fully but I just did what I have to. Also, your boys wanted to tell you the truth so I hope you won’t blame them,”

Iruka nodded slowly, his hands came up to wipe away some tears but his lips were still trembling. Tsunade puts her hand on the sensei’s shoulder, “On behalf of everything that happened, I apologize.”

He can’t completely say that he had forgiven her, he was still hurting with everything that’s happening, however, he also knew that there was no use if he continued to be mad at them. The damage had been done and all he could do was embrace what was presented to him.

Slowly, Tsunade lets go of him and gave Iruka a straight look—not the angry type one but more like the calm look she always gave to him.

“Go home and don’t report to me this week. I expect you to spend all your time in healing Sakusa,” Tsunade brought her hand up when she saw Iruka opening his mouth to complain, “And no, I won’t take no for an answer, this is a command.”

Tsunade smiled a genuine one. “Go, before I change my mind,”

“Tsunade-sama, may I ask a question?”

“What is it?”

-

Instead of entering through the front door like a normal person and how Iruka usually does. The chunin decided to jump at the backyard where he saw Kakashi reading casually on the engawa. He landed softly on the ground, took note of how the sunflowers had bloomed so beautifully amidst the empty yard.

Kakashi looked up, one gray orb scanned him and probably questioned why he entered through the back. Iruka knew his face was still red, eyes puffed up and drained from crying but when he saw Kakashi’s worried eye for him, he can’t help but to sniff as the tears were falling down again.

“Iruka…” Kakashi stood up and before he could continue, a sob escaped Iruka’s lips while big, fat tears stained his cheeks again.

Kakashi was immediately in front of him, hands gripping his shoulder in place as he stared at him, a silent plea to tell him what was wrong, but Iruka kept crying, body slumped down but Kakashi was like a wall. Kept him in place, kept him standing.

“Iruka…”

“You-you're stupid,” Iruka managed to choke out before he was pulled in Kakashi’s warm embrace. The jounin’s arms were on his waist and shoulder, pulling him in towards the warmth that Iruka gladly accepted.

He cried on his shoulders. The jounin not minding one bit it created a wet spot on his shirt.

After a few seconds, Iruka pulled back, only to stare at Kakashi’s eye. That gray orb he loved.

He loved.

“You stupid jounin… lying to me to protect me,”

“I know, I’m sorry, Iruka…” His arms tightened around the chunin’s waist, afraid that if he let go, Iruka might run away. But this time, both adults were tired of running away. They needed each other and Kakashi felt foolish for what he had done.

“Kashi-san, Ruka-san…” Iruka pulled back, tear-stained eyes were locked on Sakusa who was at the engawa with his hands clasped in front of him. Iruka’s lips quivered at the sight.

He knew Sakusa wasn’t really his. He was just burrowing but—but this time, just let him borrow Sakusa fully. Iruka raised his hand and the kid didn’t hesitate to run up in their messy hug.

Kakashi welcomed the kid with open arms, squishing him in between him and Iruka. He heard Sakusa mumbling apologies and Kakashi can’t help but to join in.

“We’re sorry, Iruka-sensei,”

Iruka just nodded, hugging Sakusa tighter.

-

“Need more pillows?” It was strange. One moment they were crying like a bunch of losers at the backyard, and next they were curled up at the living room where they used their blankets and pillows as a makeshift fort.

This was actually Sakusa’s idea. Kakashi kind of found it silly but when they were inside, the TV being the only light amidst the afternoon sun that peered through the window. It was heaven. Especially since Iruka was beside him who was busy running his fingers through Sakusa’s hair.

“No, we’re good. Sakusa looks asleep though,”

“He always sleeps,”

Iruka smiled down at Sakusa on his lap, loving how the feel of those silky locks in between his fingers. “Let him,”

Moment of silence followed them both. Kakashi watched the ongoing show on the TV, not really that interested but it was enough to keep him entertained somehow. Everything was going good until he felt something, or rather someone on his shoulder.

Kakashi turned his head and was greeted with brown locks paired with Iruka’s peaceful face. Kakashi opened his mouth to say something but halted once he felt lean fingers covered his ungloved hand.

With heated cheeks and drumming heartbeats, Kakashi adjusted his hand, interlocking his fingers with Iruka’s.

Kakashi released a sigh of relief as he rested his cheeks against Iruka’s head, contented with the feeling of Iruka all snuggled up beside him.

~*~

Iruka raised his brow at the two Hatake’s in front of him. After the wonderful nap they had, Sakusa had coaxed him up awake only to be greeted with a sight he wasn’t expecting.

It was funny and overwhelming to be able to see Konoha’s elite ninja, the ‘copy-nin’ kneeled before him like a child that has been caught causing trouble. Sakusa was also beside him, on his knees while his whole body rested on the heels of his feet.

It was funnier because they look like twins.

“We wanted to apologize formally, Ruka-san,” Sakusa’s hands were on his lap, his fingers fidgeted together. Kakashi also had is hands on his lap. Frankly, they looked adorable but Iruka won’t say it out loud. 

Before Iruka could open his mouth, Kakashi suddenly pulled his mask down.

With eyes as wide as his open mouth, Iruka looked away. “Kakash-san, what are—”

“I can’t apologize properly if I hid my face,”

Still refusing to look at the jounin, Iruka closed his eyes. He heard Sakusa telling him to look at them but he just can’t. Iruka could take a simple apology, but by exposing Kakashi’s face? He admits, he had accidentally seen his face when he had helped Kakashi that ‘day’, but this willing?

He felt his cheeks heat up.

“Ruka-san,” Sakusa whined, and with squinted eyes, Iruka took a small peek. Yep, Kakashi was still mask-less and was smiling so genuinely that the chunin can’t help but to fully look at him.

“Iruka, I’m sorry,” Kakashi said softly, Iruka appreciating the light pink hue on his cheeks.

Iruka stared at him. When he said he was Kakashi’s face during the incident, yes he did, however, this was the first time he got to take a better look at him. Kakashi’s features were soft, handsome even. It’s like Kakashi’s face hadn’t gone through a lot of bloody battles.

The scar that ran through his eyes and down the edge of his lips only added to his already charmed up looks. Especially that cute beauty mark.

And then once again, Kakashi smiled as Iruka’s blush went up to his ears.

“Yes, Ruka-san. We’re sorry…” Iruka took note of what they wore. Sakusa was wearing a simple shirt and shorts which was his—a little too big for the young shinobi but it worked out. Kakashi was also wearing something other than the standard shinobi blue. This was actually the first time Iruka had seen Kakashi in other clothes that don’t involve his flak vest, hitai-ate, and of course, his mask.

“I’m more handsome than he is, right?” Sakusa interjected, tilting his head in the process.

“What?”

With wide eyes, Iruka watched as the two started to bicker. 

“Mom always said I look better than you,” The kid answered back with a smirk. Kakashi rolled his eye, “Well your mom is not here,” Kakashi whispered through gritted teeth, obviously faking anger because a small smile was on his lips afterward.

“Still. I look better right, Ruka-san?” Both Hatake turned to look at the sensei causing Iruka to let out a small squeak.

“I—”

Kakashi just sighed as he carded his fingers through his own silver locks, “Anyway, Iruka I know it wouldn’t be easy but I’m sorry. For everything up ‘till now,”

“Yes, Ruka-san. We’re sorry… we won’t do it again, I promise!”

Iruka took note of how Sakusa’s hair was a little flat in terms of volume, whereas Kakashi’s hair defied any sense of gravity. Kakashi’s hair was more silver-white than Sakusa’s dark silver ones.

He smiled, “Well, you both look handsome to me,”

“We look alike, huh?” Sakusa beamed and squished himself by Kakashi’s side, pressing his cheeks against the jounin who just accepted defeat and sat there lifelessly as Sakusa grinned. Iruka chuckled, hand coming up to cover his mouth as his laughter increased in volume.

Kakashi, upon making sure the atmosphere was okay now, glanced up at Iruka’s cute gesture and he too, can’t help but laugh.

Their laughter echoed through the living room—something Kakashi didn’t knew was possible in the wretched Hatake manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> parents yes, next chapt.  
> also, u might notice Tsunade being harsh. I wanted her to be. I wanted her to be the one to remind everyone of the truth :D  
> Tsunade won't be Tsunade if she ain't harsh.
> 
> also, I promise, we would get Sakusa home sooooon!


	9. IX.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> to protect is still love  
> to find is still love  
> to give up is still love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO I HAVEN'T UPDATED AHA  
> /hides/  
> spare me pls aha, you're all awesome for still staying tuned with this   
> i appreciate and love you all uwu  
> and i tried my best to check my grammar because you know what, i have written this way back April, and apparently, my writing changes as months passed by? Whaaaaat. 
> 
> so excuse me for wrong grammars and spelling errors ehe   
> pls enjoy lovelies  
> ALSO GODDAMN I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SHITTY FIGHTING SCENE ;A;

Waking up with knowing that there were no more hidden secrets between him and his alternative parents, Sakusa couldn’t be any happier. After a few seconds of trying to get his hair in place, Sakusa chose to just give up and let them stick out in any direction they liked. His hair was always like this during the morning, stubborn and had a mind of its own. His mom said he got this from his dad, who was, of course, had the worst gravity-defying hair, but Sakusa also knew it wasn’t only him and his dad that had stubborn hair. His mom won’t just admit it that every morning, her hair fringes would be stuck up in different directions too.

Sakusa smiled lightly at the memory, he wouldn’t mind seeing his mother right now.

With a sigh, he made his way towards the kitchen and was greeted with the view of his mother’s alternative self, struggling to brush his hair.

The young shinobi greeted Iruka with his usual smile and sauntered his way towards the fridge with a grumbling stomach.

“Good morning, Sakusa, how’s your sleep?” Iruka greeted in between groans as his eyes followed Sakusa’s movement. The teenager rested his back against the fridge, arms crossed over his chest, and his sleepy eyes glued on the sensei, “It’s nice,” The teen smiled, Iruka’s heart melting at how adorable Sakusa was.

“What happened, Ruka-san?” Sakusa asked a little while, cringing at how painful it must’ve felt when Iruka did a violent swipe of his brush on his hair. The sound was something in between cloth ripping in half, and a brush being scraped against the couch.

“My hair tie broke. Now I’m stuck with this little elastic one and a rubber band, which hurts my head so bad,” Iruka complained with a pout and after a few more seconds of unsuccessful attempts, he dropped his brush on the table with his arms slumped at his sides. “I give up,”

“Sadly, I can’t help you with hair stuff,” Sakusa said, eyes up at his own hair that caused a chuckle to escape Iruka’s lips.

The teen smiled, feeling satisfied before he turned around to open the fridge. Pale hands grabbed a carton of milk before he closed the door to pour himself a cup. He offered some to Iruka, but the chunin-sensei declined, said he had already his coffee earlier.

A few minutes later, Kakashi entered the kitchen with his usual outfit but devoid of flak jacket and mask. Sakusa didn’t utter anything regarding Kakashi’s bare face but he did hear Iruka let out a little squeak when Kakashi greeted them softly.

Sakusa raised his brows, hiding the smirk under the rim of his glass as he observed how Kakashi paused on his tracks to look at Iruka—a little too long in Sakusa’s opinion.

Kakashi flashed Iruka a soft smile, “Good morning, Iruka.”

Sakusa saw how Iruka’s pink cheeks turned redder, one hand came up to rub at his nap as he greeted the jounin back.

Last time he checked they weren’t okay. But Sakusa wasn’t complaining either.

Kakashi and Iruka were weirdly in love, in their own secret way. And admittedly, as a teen that doesn’t really want to see his parents act all shy like teens, it’s a bit weird but again, Sakusa wasn’t stopping them.

However, when Sakusa noticed that the little staring contest they had become longer than intended, Sakusa took this as his queue to interrupt their not so subtle googly eyes at each other. In the morning. Right in front of his milk.

“Ruka-san’s having a hard time because his hair tie broke,” Sakusa said, voice echoing through the kitchen. “Maybe _we_ could go outside and buy him a new one?” He grinned, hoping his charms would somehow help him.

Kakashi walked up to him, his face expressionless as he grabbed hold for the carton of milk behind him. “Ha, nice try, kid.”

“But—”

“Now please, excuse me. I need to feed all of you,”

Sakusa pouted but obeyed nonetheless. With the glass of milk still in hand, he made his way to Iruka, chuckling a little at how the sensei looked so done, seated on the stool while staring at the elastic bands and brush. The teen took a seat beside him, recalling how his mother liked to keep her hair braided, plus he saw her one time braiding her own hair. Sakusa wanted to ask if Iruka also knew how but by the looks of it, he doesn’t.

And as they sat there, Sakusa thinking of a way on how to help his Ruka-san – his mouth slowly opened, bored eyes melted into mischief as little horns appeared on top of his head—if he’s in a cartoon.

He just remembered something. 

“Kashi-san!” He called out a little too loud, causing both Iruka and Kakashi to glance at him, their forms read to fight, and for a moment, Sakusa felt guilty for shouting unexpectedly. “Oh, sorry!” He grinned and saw from the corner of his eyes how Iruka had slumped back down on his chair. Kakashi, on the other hand, remained his gaze on him, expression unreadable.

“I just remembered something!” Sakusa laughed out loud, hand almost hitting the glass of milk he put down on the side.

“You!” Sakusa pointed at Kakashi, “You know how to braid hairs!”

“No, I don’t,” The way Kakashi answered was almost too comical. It came out so fast, the jounin’s bare cheeks painted pink as he turned around to resume his cooking.

But Sakusa wasn’t taking no for an answer.

The teenager immediately stood up and skipped his way towards his father’s alternative self, poking the jounin’s side which earned him a twitch and a protest.

“Yes you do, mom told me.”

“Your dad and I are _way_ different,”

“Really?” Sakusa lifted an eyebrow, voice playful. “As much as I know, you and dad almost have the same personality especially how uncool the both of you are—”

And this was the moment Sakusa saw how fast Kakashi really was. It happened in seconds, even before he could blink. Kakashi had turned the stove off, spun around to face him and his hands had found purchase on Sakusa’s cheeks, squeezing it all the while adorning a straight face. “Shut up, you talkative kid,”

Sakusa struggled to get away, hands coming up to cover Kakashi’s. _“Ahdmdit iht,”_ Sakusa muttered between pressed cheeks, brown eyes glaring playfully at Kakashi’s lone one. “I said shut up, kid,”

They bantered for a few seconds, with Kakashi squishing his cheeks at every word Sakusa let out until they heard a chuckle from behind. Both Hatake stopped and slowly looked back. It was Iruka. He was laughing with his hands over his mouth. Once he noticed that both of them were looking at him, he suddenly stopped and blushed.

Kakashi, fortunately, released Sakusa’s cheeks- the kid huffing in return.

“Just admit it, you know how to braid! Then you might be able to help Ruka-san,” Sakusa murmured, lips formed in a pout while rubbing his sore cheeks, “I remember mom telling me about you teaching her—”

“Okay, okay! Okay. Stop. Okay?”

“So you’ll help me?”

Sakusa smirked when Kakashi froze at the sound of Iruka’s voice. The sensei had this hopeful eyes while Kakashi looked like a mess right now. Sakusa wanted to interrupt, tease Kakashi further but to his surprise, the jounin agreed with a light nod and pink cheeks.

Really, Sakusa thought, how many times has he seen his _parents_ blush today?

And so, Kakashi had abandoned the cooking and was now behind Iruka, braiding his hair. Sakusa on the other hand, smiled lightly as he remained quiet, continuing the cooking Kakashi had left.

“Are you done sniffing around Ruka-san’s hair, Kakashi-san?” Sakusa asked after he was done putting the eggs on the plate. Kakashi glared at him, lean hands still fumbling ever so gently on Iruka’s hair.

Iruka, though, was all smile. Probably enjoying the gentle pulls on his scalp.

Sakusa then proceeded to grab the leftover soup, putting the serving in each bowl before—he stopped, eyes scanning every counter looking for a microwave but, lo and behold, none.

Damn it.

He forgot. He’s in the past. No microwaves, or flat-screen TVs, or his game console. With a pout, he transferred the broth in a saucepan.

While it waiting for it to heat up, the young Hatake rested his butt against the counter, curious eyes watched carefully as Kakashi’s fingers moved gently, each pull of hair so delicate it made Sakusa remember his own parents.

He’s embarrass to admit it but Sakusa’s heart melted in contentment every time he saw his parents being all sweet with each other. And now, being away from home for almost a week, he missed them. Sakusa had tons of missions where he’s required to be away from home for weeks or months but just within one week of being here, he misses them—maybe because he knew in those missions he would be able to go home. Had the opportunity to send in messenger hawks or ninkens back to Konoha but now—

“Sakusa?”

The possibility of him not returning _home_ sent some uncomfortable feeling in his guts.

“Sakusa, the—”

“Ow!” The young Hatake jumped once the hot liquid touched his lower back. He quickly turned around to kill off the flames while muttering ‘oh no’ over and over again. He grabbed for the potholder nearby but pale hands beats him to it, and the next thing he knew, he was being steered to sit beside Iruka, who already had his hair in control.

“You okay?”

Sakusa nodded, a little flustered because Iruka looked so much like his mom now. Except for his sharp jaws and all. “Nothing burnt?”

“Yeah, I’m good...” Iruka just nodded and lets him be.

After a while of Sakusa looking down on his empty plate, with Kakashi still working and Iruka beside him, he felt a hand on his hair. He looked up, meeting brown orbs that radiated the same warmth as his mother.

“Hold still,” Iruka instructed before he felt the soft brushing of the comb on his scalp.

~*~

Iruka entered the living room holding a scroll that’s almost the same size as his arm. His gaze landed on the duo, gave them a small smile as two pairs of curious eyes followed him when he proceeded to put the scroll down gently on the kotatsu.

Sakusa was seated beside Kakashi, both boys looking so behaved as Iruka took a seat in front of them.

It was now three in the afternoon, breakfast and lunch had went by like a blur, spending most of the time earlier just laying around watching TV—well, Kakashi and Sakusa did. Iruka, on the other hand, did mission desk paperwork. It was stressful, the papers had piled up for not being able to do them for a long time but, Sakusa and Kakashi’s presence were enough for him to forget all the stress of failed written mission reports.

And now, after doing lots of paperwork and since Iruka still needed to write progress report for the Hokage, Iruka thought that maybe today’s the right time to introduce Sakusa the scroll he and the Godaime had been working on. Kakashi was already aware of the scroll, but this would be the first time he’s going to see it.

“Now this is...” Iruka started, adjusting the scroll so it faced Sakusa directly before he did a single hand sign. The scroll unlocked on its own after, sliding open for them to see.

Iruka smoothed out the paper, lean fingertips running over dried ink.

“Here’s the transportation justu the Godaime and I are constructing that’s based on the Nidaime Hokage’s original body flicker jutsu,” His eyes went to Kakashi, took note on how the jounin looked at the scroll writings with such familiarity. “I think you might’ve seen them at some point, Kakashi. We got this seal and merged it with the Yondaime’s fuinjutsu,”

“So it’s like merging Minato-sensei’s jutsu with the original one?”

“Sort of. Yondaime’s fuinjutsu scroll had bunch of seals, even other versions of his Hiraishin. We just tried to upgrade it a little. But it wasn’t easy, Nidaime’s handwriting isn’t that easy to read, plus the papers were kind of old and discolored so we really have to be careful in handling them,”

Iruka continued to describe the seal, commented on the side that they based the structure on what Sakusa remembered from the seal he had accidentally sat on. Basically, they merge another version of the fourth’s Hiraishin and the second’s original then making it look like the one Sakusa had sat on. However, they still need to do more searching, especially files of the Uchiha clan regarding dimension travel.

Kakashi raised his brow at the mention of Uchiha.

Iruka knew Kakashi was aware of how powerful the Uchiha eyes were, and outside the Uchiha clan, it was only a myth for them whether they could really travel to a different time—or different dimensions, that’s why Tsunade had ordered only one trusted ANBU to search of what remained in the Uchiha residence, hoping to find something useful that could help bring the boy back. 

“Why the Uchiha?” Sakusa interjected, eyes glancing up at them.

Iruka paused and released a sigh. It’s only given that Sakusa might not know much about the Uchiha, but Iruka hoped he could avoid that topic knowing Kakashi might not like talking more and more about the clan, but the chunin sensei continued when Kakashi gave him a nod.

“Only certain people can do dimension travel and the Uchiha’s are one of them. However, not all could attain that certain ability for they need special kind of eyes. It’s too complicated, really and requires a lot of chakra for that,”

“Hmm… weird eyes you say? Like purple and all?”

Kakashi and Iruka raised their brow.

“Like uncle Sasuke’s?”

Iruka didn’t even want to ask further. Ignoring the fact that the boy, his sweet _sweet_ Sakusa, had just revealed another fact from his own timeline and guessing from his reaction, he’s not aware of what Sasuke had done as a child.

Or maybe their Sasuke didn’t took the same path as what their own Sasuke did.

But amidst the silence between the three of them, Iruka didn’t fail to notice how Kakashi’s expression morphed from stunned to somber just by the mention of Sasuke’s name.

“Hm… Maybe,” Iruka answered, gave Sakusa a soft smile, partly glad that the teen didn’t talk any further regarding the rogue genin.

Iruka’s knew it’s not an easy topic for Kakashi.

The chunin-sensei gave out a few more pointers concerning the scroll’s contents and after that, he closed the scroll once again with a promise to Sakusa that soon enough, they’ll give it a try—and maybe they’ll succeed in sending him home.

“Sakusa, trust me when I say I will do my best to get you home,”

A smile had finally appeared on the young Hatake’s face, same one like Kakashi’s, Iruka noticed.

“I know you will, Ruka-san. I know you two will,” A grin made its way to Sakusa’s face as he sat up straight and suddenly, Iruka felt nervous once he sensed a mischievous aura coming off from the teen.

Iruka watched closely when Sakusa turned to look at Kakashi, his grin now curved into a teasing one.

“Kashi-san here wanted me away quicker so, ya’know,” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully at the jounin, “He could have you alone, Ruka-san,”

“Hatake Sakusa!” Iruka yelled, blood rising up from his cheeks at the unexpected implication from the kid. With balled-up fist and ranging embarrassment, he hit Sakusa right on his wild silver hair.

“Don’t talk like that! What would your mom say?!”

“I’m sorry, sensei!” Sakusa, this oddball, was apologizing at the same time laughing out loud, avoiding Kakashi’s attempt to pinch his cheeks.

Speaking of cheeks, Iruka, still a blushing mess, refused to make eye contact with the jounin and started to reprimand Sakusa about how one should talk in front of the parents—Iruka paused. Blinked. And then his blush deepened once he realized he had preferred to him and Kakashi as Sakusa’s parents.

Sakusa seemed to have a keen observation of what just happened because his laughter doubled, arms over his stomach as he lost his balance and landed on Kakashi’s side, which the jounin just grunted in return, both cheeks flushed but he held the boy in place.

Iruka shook his head, a smile slowly appeared on his face the longer he stared at Sakusa and Kakashi bicker away—and then his heart tightened at the thought of not being able to see Sakusa anymore.

Tsunade was correct.

He knew Sakusa wasn’t his. But for once, let him soak this up. He swore with his whole life he’ll get the boy home but for now, he’ll look at Sakusa for as long as he wanted.

~

“Tell me again why are we gardening when it’s almost six in the evening?”

“Because we forgot to water them! And look, the sunflowers look so pretty!” Sakusa yelped in joy as he ran across the yard with his feet bare.

Kakashi just shook his head and proceeded to take a seat by the engawa while putting down a tray with cups of tea in them. Kakashi adjusted the tray on an elevated space, lone eye watched Iruka and Sakusa water away the plants and grass below.

Kakashi honestly wanted to join in, but truth to be told, the nervous feeling whenever he’s around Iruka was still there. He knew he had already apologized, and that Iruka had talked to him multiple times, but deep down he couldn’t seem to forgive himself just yet for what he had done. Don’t get him wrong, he’s thankful that Iruka was talking to him, but giving the chunin some space would be the rightful thing Kakashi could do.

He smiled under his mask once he saw Iruka picking up some weeds while Sakusa kept himself busy by watering the tree and flower pots.

The Hatake garden had unexpectedly grown for a week, new plants and flowers had been taken in, courtesy of Iruka, and Sakusa would plant it with them. The grass below had been greener than the last time they entered, the big tree with the swing became more vibrant, and the patches of soil were mostly covered up now.

The garden still needed a lot of work to progress, but for Kakashi, it was enough because surprisingly, the dull Hatake Manor, which Kakashi thought would remain untouched, lifeless, and boring, was filled with colors just by the kid’s presence.

_Just by Iruka and Sakusa’s presence._

Kakashi knew his plan was to give Iruka some space, not wanting to look so clingy, but after the mess and fun Iruka and Sakusa had in the garden, they finally called it quits once the stars and moon above where the only light they received. They cleaned themselves up with the hose, careful not to get their already stained clothes wet, and after that, the two found solace at the engawa next to him.

Kakashi asked if he should prepare dinner but got no as an answer from both of them.

As the peaceful night surrounded them, Kakashi sat down comfortably with his legs crossed, Iruka by his left and Sakusa in front of them, reading away a book about Konoha’s Founding Fathers.

“Ya know,” The kid started after minutes of silence.

Kakashi planted his hand on the ground beside him, didn’t fail to notice how his pinky had touched Iruka’s finger. He stayed still though, ears and eyes all focused on the boy before him, hoping the violent beating of his heart wasn’t loud enough for the sensei to hear.

“You thought me History even before I entered the Academy,” The teen flipped a page and auburn eyes snapped up their direction. “So I usually skipped class,”

“Sakusa…” Iruka frowned but Sakusa continued, “I know, that’s also what mom said,” He chuckled as he closed the book, put it aside before he made his way towards them. Kakashi was about to protest but Sakusa boldly threw himself between the adults, laughing out loud, and Kakashi had no choice but to support the kid by holding onto his shoulders, couldn’t care less about his dirty clothes touching Kakashi’s clean ones.

“It made me wonder if you were amused at me or mad,” Sakusa murmured after he settled in, his head on Iruka’s shoulder which the chunin sensei accepted the affection without hesitations. “I reasoned out to you that I got sick hearing about Senju and Uchiha- but right now, I should’ve listened huh?”

“Silly,” Iruka commented softly, his left hand came up to ruffle the kid’s hair, “I will get you home, I promise.”

Kakashi’s breath hitched a little, mask suddenly a little too tight because—because the kid wasn’t theirs.

He knew he wasn’t from their timeline but god, the longer he looked at them, Iruka and Sakusa, the more he yearned for this to keep on going.

Sometimes Kakashi wondered if it was because he had been alone all his life, left with nothing and experienced pain and bloodshed at a very young age, and then the Sakusa suddenly appeared out of nowhere and claimed to be a family Kakashi never thought he would have.

But of course, he wasn’t his. In this timeline.

However, _he_ was still Sakusa’s father in some way.

Kakashi wasn’t selfish. Hasn’t asked anything for himself but this—the jounin’s jaw tightened.

They would get Sakusa home. He swore to whoever’s above. But right now, let him—let them enjoy his presence.

Later that night, as Sakusa stayed in the living room, all clean and probably fast asleep based on the light snores they could hear from the kitchen, he and Iruka were preparing late dinner. Kakashi was frying up the fish while Iruka finished up chopping the vegetables.

“All done! See? I’ve improved?” Iruka smiled at him, one hand flashed the chopped veggies while the other raised to prove his point. Kakashi immediately grabbed his raised hand for it held a knife and almost hit his face, lucky that his reflexes had been trained since he was six or Iruka would really live up the life as someone who managed to injure Konoha’s Copy-nin.

“Careful there, don’t wanna hurt anyone, hm?”

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry!” Iruka yelped, unconsciously pushed himself closer to Kakashi’s personal space until both of them stopped when they felt each other’s heat. The hand that still held Iruka’s wrist tightened, liking how close their faces were.

With slow movements, Kakashi prided the knife out with his other hand and gently laid it down on the counter.

Iruka should’ve pulled back right now, and Kakashi should’ve resumed in stirring the food, however, they remained to where they were, pressed up and staring into one another’s eyes.

Kakashi quickly looked down when Iruka bit his very kissable lips.

His stomach churned, chest fluttered in a way he couldn’t describe, but Kakashi knew, as he looked at Iruka’s coffee colored eyes, that he would always be thankful for this _friendship_ Iruka had given him.

Iruka was so kind and caring. Everything Kakashi wasn’t. And everything Sakusa needed.

_My alternative self chose the right person to start a family with._

And so he hugged him. Pulled the chunin by his hand and buried his head in between Iruka’s shoulder. Kakashi felt how Iruka’s body froze and it frightened him that he might’ve crossed the line, however, Kakashi’s uneasiness quickly melted away when Iruka’s body slumped a little. The action only made Kakashi hug him tighter. 

“Kakashi—”

“Thank you, Iruka. For still being here,”

Seconds felt like hours but soon, Kakashi’s nervousness vanished completely when Iruka’s arms wrapped themselves around him, so warm and so right.

They melted together, like butter and toast. Kakashi becoming like goo in his arms, wanting to just stay there and hold Iruka.

_Very comforting._

Everything about Iruka was calming.

He doesn’t want to leave. Doesn’t want this to end.

But the next day, Tsunade has called for him and as he said goodbye to Sakusa and Iruka, his heart ached in a good way.

Kakash was used to saying goodbye to an empty apartment. Used to get no reply every time he closes the door. However, with Sakusa’s excited wave and Iruka’s gentle smile as he opened the door, ready to leave—he felt like he has a home.

And he couldn’t wait to go back to the now less dull manor.

~

“I’m envious,” Sakusa pouted, rough sandals scraped the soil below in order to stop the movement of the swing he was on. He wore a simple shirt and pants- which Iruka had bought for him the first few days he arrived.

Iruka, on the other hand, kept himself busy by tending the plants.

It’s been a while since Kakashi left, before he did though, he had promised Ichiraku ramen for dinner to the kid so maybe that’s why Sakusa’s a little cranky. Iruka had lost track of time since Kakashi left after breakfast, but guessing from the already setting sun, he and Sakusa had spent the entire day at the yard playing, read a few books, eating, and right now, tending the garden.

Iruka stretched his arms above him, cheeks and knees stained with dirt for kneeling too long.

Another whine resounded and Iruka turned to face the boy, who was still on the swing, face adorned with a pout, “I want to go out, sensei…”

“You know we can’t, right?” Iruka chuckled and stood up with a struggle once he felt his knees and back all numbed up. He slowly made his way to the water hose, all the while, kept his eye on the boy, “You have to understand, Saku-chan,” He continued and twisted the hose’s nuzzle carefully.

“I know, Ruka-san,” Sakusa’s pout stayed, brown eyes now looking up at him, obviously acting cute. But even though Sakusa looked so damn cute with his pleading eyes, Iruka was very immune to them—having a bunch of pre-genins begging him at work was enough practice for Iruka not to give in.

“How about I let you train with me after?”

“Oh?!” His dismal eyes suddenly became thrilled, mouth open in a wide smile and Iruka wished he had a camera right now so he could capture this moment. 

“Yes, later. For now, you need to clean up and then—”

Sakusa had wordlessly ran up to him, the chunin sensei stepping back when Sakusa suddenly took hold of the hosepipe. He was about to ask what he’ll do with it, but the young Hatake answered him by spraying water all over his face, dampening his silver locks in the process.

“All clean!”

“Hey—” Iruka quickly looked away when Sakusa aimed the water hose his way. Good thing he avoided on time, however, his ponytail was wet and he could feel droplets of water running down his back.

Sakusa’s laughter echoed the yard. Iruka, who couldn’t stay mad that long, took it upon himself to try and grab the hose but failed to do so when the kid ran.

“Come back here, you’re gonna be in a lot of trouble!”

“Sensei, don’t be mad!” Sakud grinned, “It’s just water,”

“Haha, just water,” Iruka repeated with sarcasm laced in his voice but the playfulness was still there.

They continued their chasing game, Sakusa had managed to strike Iruka’s hair enough for the tie to slip off, however, when he accidentally lets go of the hose, Iruka took the opportunity to snatch it away and gave a go to Sakusa’s direction.

“No!” Sakusa puts his arm up over his face, the stream hitting his palm not so gently that it made him back up, lost his balance and then landed on the damp soil below on his butt.

Iruka stopped, worried eyes scanned the boy, afraid that he might’ve hurt himself, but when Sakusa laughed, all doubts faded in an instant.

The chunin sensei released a sigh of relief, gave Sakusa a pointed look before he decided to call it a night and let themselves just wait for Kakashi inside the house.

Sakusa, who was still on the ground with his hands planted behind, beamed up at the sensei.

“I wonder if Kashi-san got ramen already—”

At that moment, something unexpected happened, like some sort of genjutsu had been cast on them, but that wasn’t the case. It’s far too real for Iruka.

He’s just admiring Sakusa’s smile when he saw an object glimmered from behind and the next thing he saw petrified him. A kunai passed by Sakusa, missing his arm but just enough to leave a big gash near his elbow. The weapon impaled itself through the ground—barely missing his fingers.

Iruka hurriedly ran to Sakusa, grabbed him by the arm and gave a soft apology when the boy yelped in pain. Iruka pushed him behind him, watched with keen eyes as four unknown ninjas landed in front of them.

They wore a black cloak and mask, and if Iruka’s wasn’t knowledgeable about ANBUs, he would’ve thought they were one of them. Their mask was different. It’s colored in deep blue and horns protruded the forehead area, looking like devils with their empty eye slits.

Iruka gulped, they stench of violence.

But, Iruka didn’t waste any time for pleasantries.

With gritted teeth, he turned to face the boy, grabbed hold of his arms before flickering them out of the scene. They appeared a few feet away from the house, landing on a tree branch not so gently. Iruka cursed as he looked around.

Admittedly, the first time Iruka had seen the Hatake manor, he was amazed because not only was it big, but the place was also located at the far side of the village, hidden between trees and totally isolated. Basically, a perfect house if one wanted to have a nice, and quiet sanctuary. But right now, Iruka didn’t like how far they were from the central, from other shinobis and ANBUs who could help them.

He glanced at Sakusa, took note of how hard he panted with his hand clutched around his bleeding arm.

Iruka huffed, not liking how calculated the ambush was. They must’ve been watching them from the start because firstly, Kakashi wasn’t home to help them, second, they attacked at a vulnerable moment where both he and Sakusa are bare of any weapons. Lastly, they went for the kid first.

Iruka concluded, they might’ve been the one who were stalking Kakashi, because who else could they be? But what Iruka wanted to know more was what they want with them.

It didn’t take Iruka a second to detect them, coming in fast and wrapped with killing intent. He turned to face the young Hatake and cupped his cheeks gently.

“Run and heal yourself at the same time, okay?”

“What? Are you expecting me to—”

“Head straight to the Hokage’s office, or anywhere near the central where there are other shinobis. Call for help,” Iruka instructed as his fingers trembled. Before the teen could reply though, Iruka swiftly turned back and landed a kick on an enemy.

The nin groaned, hand raised with a sword and ready to strike but before he could do so, Iruka proceeded to sweep him off balance.

Sakusa, on the other hand, handled another nin by aiming a blow at the back of their head.

This wasn’t enough, Iruka thought, Sakusa’s injured and fighting would only result to exhaustion.

He needed to protect Sakusa.

_And protect him he would._

Iruka took hold of Sakusa’s hand once the enemy was down, he led them down quickly, feet landing on the forest soil below. Iruka summoned two clones of himself, gave each on a nod before they went to their own way without much needed communication.

Iruka reverted his attention back to Sakusa when he heard him groan. He paled, saw how Sakusa struggled to fight off an enemy so Iruka took it upon himself to pull the boy away, exchanged a few kicks and punches before he managed to push the nin away—no forgetting to burn him with a katon.

“Heal yourself, fast!” He commanded, felt them nearing. 

“I can’t! I need to reserve my chakra in helping—” Iruka quickly ducked his head when Sakusa made a hand sign, his surprised expression replaced with amazement as Sakusa released his own katon that effectively blew the enemy away from behind.

As much as he wanted to praise the kid, there’s no time. Iruka grasped Sakusa’s shirt and flickered them a few feet away, and inside a giant scrub. The chunin casts a quick ward in order to protect them and immediately went on to heal Sakusa’s would.

Sakusa hissed, Iruka whispering out his apology for he wasn’t used in healing wounds.

However, before the wound could close properly, the soil below their feet started to melt in a gooey like substance. Seeing that Sakusa was sinking in fast, he reached forward but was taken aback when Sakusa pushed him hard, causing him to exit the shrub and away from the melting soil. Seconds later, the sound of electricity resounded through and Sakusa came out of the bush, panting and dirty.

“Sakusa…”

“I’m fine, sensei. I—”

A shout from above cuts them off, Iruka looking up just in time to see another nin falling down and landing behind him. Iruka groaned when the vigilante held him in a chokehold. And as Iruka struggled, he saw Sakusa looking at him weakly and all Iruka could do was to beg silently for Sakusa to run away.

He tried to kick from behind, anything just to break off his balance, but it’s no use, he wasn’t bothered by the kicks.

Iruka heard him smirk, saw at the corner of his eyes a kunai headed his way. He quickly blocked it by holding onto the incoming hand, moved it as far away as possible from his face.

Slowly and steadily, he pushed and pushed backward, leading them away from Sakusa. And when he successfully trapped the nin between him and a tree, Iruka did a sign on his other hand and gradually, he felt the enemy’s grip on him loosen. 

He faced the nin who was struggling, trapped and melted against the tree trunk. Iruka smirked, felt the satisfaction wash over him as he cast a jutsu and water started to circle his palm. He slapped it over the nin’s mouth and nose, pleased when he saw how it remained on his face, blocking his airways.

At that point, he heard a pained shout, Iruka snapping his heard towards the boy and saw how he looked so much worse than before. Iruka wanted to ran up to him, hug and check how he was but failed when the two enemies from before reappeared.

Sakusa immediately summoned a mud wall that separated him from Iruka and the other nin.

The chunin gritted his teeth, didn’t like one bit about Sakusa’s idea to separate them but Iruka knew, the kid was right. They needed to take out each enemy one by one if they wanted to end this fast.

The nin that was left in front of him was, fortunately, a fire elemental and Iruka had easily dodged his jutsus. When he found the right moment to escape, Iruka moved back and jumped up to a branch, all the while remembering to further himself away from Sakusa.

Iruka did a tiger seal, inhaled deeply and then showered the nin with bullets of water.

He managed to hit him on the shoulder but again, it wasn’t enough to stop him from charging forward. Iruka groaned, found himself on his back, palms pressed together above his face, just in time to catch the sharp blade that was a few inches away from his nose.

He also noticed blood dripping down in between.

It badly hurts, but Iruka couldn’t complain.

He resisted the weight above him, his hair sticking everywhere on his face as he tried to fight back. The other just laughed through his mask, removed his sword from Iruka’s hold that caused the chunin to yell in pain as it sliced his palm open.

The enemy-nin quickly placed his other arm over Iruka’s neck. Choking Iruka, all the while, his hand the held the sword was raised, ready to impale it at the struggling sensei but then, all of the sudden, Iruka saw a dark shadow moved from behind and swooped in to kick the enemy off of him.

The enemy falling down together with his _savior_.

Iruka breathed in heavily and clutched his wounded hand near his chest. He tried to look below, hoped to see who survived the fall but to no avail, he only saw darkness. However, he felt another chakra from afar, so familiar yet he couldn’t pinpoint who it was. He’s sure it wasn’t Kakashi’s either.

Nevertheless, Iruka couldn’t stay here to find out more, he needed to get to Sakusa fast. Especially now since he could also feel two more blurry chakras coming in their direction. 

He hoped one of them was Kakashi.

-

After jumping off a few trees, he finally heard the sound of lightning hitting the ground. He knew it belonged to Sakusa and he feared that it would drain the poor kid if he kept on fighting.

Iruka had arrived just in time to meddle in between a panting Sakusa on the ground and the nin running towards him. Even though his hand hurts, he managed to form a jutsu and blocked the oncoming fireball with a water release wall.

Iruka panted, finally feeling the toll of using too much chakra.

The nin before him managed to destroy the water barrier, stepping in through the dispersing jutsu with his cloak and mask all wet and dirty. Iruka groaned in frustration and just resumed in his fighting stance, face bruised and palm cut open—it stung, but he would die first before he gets to Sakusa.

“Who are you?” He asked, stepping back a little. Still alarmed when he sensed three unknown chakras nearby.

“Speak!”

“You two are important to Kakashi Hatake,” The enemy finally spoke, voice deep and laced with anger. He strikes his blade up but Iruka quickly blocked it with a water whip.

“Iruka-sensei…”

“Sakusa, stay down!” Iruka instructed, eyes still on the masked stranger.

“Kakashi killed my men, my only family! So everything that Kakashi has should also die!” He yelled and even before Iruka could react, the nin had kicked him in the stomach causing his body to lose balance and slid backward, stopping near the teen.

Iruka moaned in pain, his hand stung and his rib was probably broken, but he shouldn’t show weakness. Especially when Sakusa moved beside him, sitting up straight and glaring at the man in front. Iruka could see it in the kid’s eyes, he was dazed, tired, and out of breath. His arm was still bleeding and—

Sakusa suddenly looked down at him and gave him a small smile. 

Iruka would never let him die.

Sitting up was a struggle, every bones and muscle in him complained about being used too much but he doesn’t care. He needed to protect Sakusa.

It’s his kid.

Once he was on a kneeling position, he raised one hand, palm up in a defensive position while his other was at his back, holding Sakusa back.

“As if I’ll let you,”

The man before them laughed so manically it made Iruka remember the day Mizuki wanted to hurt Naruto. Soulless. Merciless. It sent a shiver down his spine but never once he faltered, his gaze stayed attuned to the stranger, killing intent visible.

“Sakusa,” He whispered, watched as the man took a step forward with his sword raised up. 

“I want you to run after I count to three,”

“Ruka-san… no,” A small whine came out from the kid, voice obviously spent.

Iruka shook his head and kept pushing Sakusa away from him.

“Listen to me,”

“No…”

“Sakusa—” The man was a few feet away, ready to lunge. 

“Ruka-tousan…” It was the last thing Iruka heard as the nin shouted but soon came to a halt when a very familiar sound of electricity clapping resounded through the empty forest.

And before he could blink, the enemy before him stilled, sword dropping on the ground as he silently withered in pain—horrified to see a gloved hand protruding out his chest.

The body landed with a loud thud, Iruka quickly shielding Sakusa’s view from the deadly scene, which the kid didn’t protest for he was too weak to even object anything.

They might’ve been saved, but that doesn’t mean they were completely safe from the newcomer.

Iruka looked up at the one who saved them, his chakra was oddly the same as Kakashi’s.

He wore a cloak with the hood up, and a mask that looked similar to their own ANBU.

But he still wasn’t their Kakashi.

Iruka retained his kneeling position with his hand up. The cloaked stranger still had electricity running through his right hand, all bloody and clapping furiously. Iruka gritted his teeth and got himself ready to flicker him and Sakusa away from here.

Whatever it takes. If it’ll drain him or not, Iruka doesn’t care.

The stranger neared him, killing intent so visible it made Iruka’s body weak.

“Iruka-tousan…” Sakusa’s weak voice called out and the electricity from the man’s hand died down too quickly for Iruka, but he ignored him. Instead, Iruka averted his gaze back to the kid and rapidly pulled Sakusa in his arms once he saw blood pouring down his nose.

“Sakusa!” Iruka grimaced as soon as he touched Sakusa’s burning forehead. “Sakusa! Wake up, don’t close your eyes,” But to no avail, Sakusa’s brown orbs disappeared under closed lids.

Iruka felt the person behind him nearing, and it made Iruka nervous because he doesn’t know if he should flicker him and Sakusa away or just straight-up fight him off. But if he did die on the spot, then Sakusa will be in danger.

Iruka breathed it, turned to glare at the stranger but stopped when someone came in between them.

Silver white hair greeted Iruka, the chunin to cry out in relief, drank in the sight of Kakashi holding up a kunai with his headband up and sharingan spinning wildly.

“Kakashi…”

“Iruka, take Sakusa away from here I’ll take it fro…”

Iruka’s eyes widen when Kakashi suddenly dropped his weapon. He wanted to ask what was wrong, however, another figure appeared. Iruka was quick to cradle Sakusa closer when the said newcomer immediately ran towards them.

He shouted, not understanding why Kakashi wasn’t stopping them but then Iruka paused once he the masked stranger knelt on the opposite side of Sakusa.

It disturbed him how recognizable this stranger’s chakra was. It was like his mother’s but at the same time not.

Iruka tightened his hold around the kid, afraid they might hurt him. Why was Kakashi not helping him? Doesn’t he care for them? Did he just easily surrender us to the enemies?

“No!” Iruka yelled through gritted teeth as he moved back, the boy still in his hold. He tried to gather Sakusa’s body closer, tried to pry themselves away, however, the stranger suddenly removed their mask and—Iruka’s breath hitched.

Same auburn eyes like Sakusa looked back at him, close to tears and worried. 

She was beautiful.

And when she silently opened her arms, a plea to pass the boy to her, that’s when Iruka caught glimpse of the horizontal scar across her cheeks and nose.

Without saying anything, he gave Sakusa to her.

He watched as she cried out. Held Sakusa close while wiping away the blood from his nose. Her hands were gentle as she supported his head and pushed away some stubborn strands off of his face, not caring whether Sakusa’s muddy figure was ruining her outfit.

All Iruka could do was stare at how she wiped any dirt off of his face, how she leaned forward to kiss his forehead while murmuring words he couldn’t here. It didn’t take long for the other to join her, the one who Kakashi didn’t stop. The man knelt down beside her and removed his mask, leaning down to take a better look at Sakusa’s wounded arm.

Iruka’s eyes widen when he saw another Kakashi, but this one looked a little older, wiser, and—

Iruka jumped a little as he felt hands on his shoulders. He glanced up, saw _his_ Kakashi looking at him with unreadable eyes and ushered him up slowly. The chunin groaned a little, his arms and legs protesting at his action.

As he dusted off some dirt, Kakashi decreased the distance between them. “You okay?” Kakashi asked, face too close but Iruka couldn’t care less. He nodded weakly, words seemed stuck in his throat as he averted his gaze back to the small family.

The woman was still cradling Sakusa, glowing hand laid gently on the kid’s wounded arm while the other held him closer. _Other Kakashi_ removed his cloak and used it as a makeshift blanket for the two, his mask hanging from the side of his head as his mouth moved softly, whispering words Iruka couldn’t comprehend. 

It was them.

_Sakusa’s parents._

It didn’t take long for their stance to break once they felt another presence behind them. Iruka and Kakashi snapped their heads behind and—

Iruka gasped.

Kakashi’s breath hitched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooh, i wonder who they saw   
> *wink wonk*  
> chapter had increased -- maybe?? hehe
> 
> comments and kudos are highly appreciated.  
> please stay safe and hydrated loves
> 
> if u wanna talk to me, hmu ~  
> [tumblr](https://mytsukkishine.tumblr.com/)  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/mytsukkishine%22%22)  
> discord: ~~mytsukkishine#7169~~

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are very much appreciated ~  
> have a great day lovelies!


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